Gregory Isaacs by Terence Wallen

Doors 6.30pm | Performance 8pm & 8.30pm on Fridays | Event Calendar CLICK HERE Terence had the unique position of being one of a very few Gregory Isaacs tribute acts in the UK and had a multitude of performances under his belt, dating back to the mid-90s, when he performed in numerous clubs in Birmingham and as far as Cardiff, Wales. He recalls his very first live band gig as being as a support act for 80s/90s Jamaican Reggae Singer Simple Simon, who had hits such as Billy Red, Bogleing Queen, and Reggae Move. Having mastered the Gregory Isaacs sound but not taking it seriously, Terence would lend his vocals on sound systems in Birmingham, namely Now Generation, Observer, Jah Lion and Nyah Sound. During the cassette tape era he recalls his first studio sessions with Producer and Sound man Wooligan at The Orthadox Studios in Handsworth, Birmingham with Montego Bay artist Lappa Leng who in the 90s had dancehall hits like 'Batty Barely cover' and 'Bi Bi Dip' and later with Dennis Brown sound alike Bogles with them both doing several covers of there idols Gregory and Dennis, recorded for personal use but never for release. Still for the love of music and the enjoyment of singing their idols, they met up again later, now in the CD era to record 'Let of Supm' and other Gregory and Dennis Brown hits with Jnr Quaker the son of Sound System legend Quaker City to have as personal productions. Singing Gregory Isaacs was still very much a hobby for Terence, and his focus was more on his entrepreneurship and humanitarian work in third-world countries. It was only when he had met up with longtime mentor and close friend Grantley 'GT' Haynes that a career path was taken seriously. Grantley encouraged Terence to take his craft professionally and showed there was a huge market around the globe for such a tribute as that of the 'Cool Ruler'. Terence, having been through the personal loss of his brother Sted at the age of 57, decided to look at life differently and would live out some of his dreams, one of them putting on his show 'A Tribute to Gregory Isaacs' by Terence Wallen. With just the idea, the songs in mind, but no venue, no pre-recorded backing tracks and no definite date, he contacted Grantley and expressed his desire to put on this show. In no time, Grantley was back with a Venue, PA equipment and a proposed date. Terence quickly sourced the backing tracks and Grantley converted them in PA versions. With date set, flyer ready, promotion in full swing... It was showtime, and the event sold out with rave reviews. The bookings started to flow in, and Terence’s 1st international show was in Jersey for BlocParty promotions. The show was a huge success. Still not seeing it a musical path Grantlley encouraged Terence to take it serious on the back of the previous shows success and it was on the journey back to the UK Grantley played several rhythms to Terence to consider and Terence thought the song 'Not The Way' would fit the rhythm perfectly, GT invited him to the studio (GT's Records/My Boyz Beatz) to record it professionally. With the debut single 'Not The Way' under his belt and getting regular airplay, a 2nd UK show was planned at The Tower Of Song, Birmingham. As expected, it too Sold Out in no time. It was at this point that Grantley had convinced Terence to take his music career seriously and that with his help, expertise in the business and guidance, success would be guaranteed. The Soul Mama Menu offers a delightful blend of African, Caribbean, and South American cuisine. Soul Mama was listed in the “top restaurants to look forward to in 2024 list” by the Evening Standard. Please take a moment to explore our menu. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------