50 years of melody

February 2025 was a crowning moment for Hal ‘Reggaeman’ Anthony, honoured for his contribution to reggae music in south Florida and around the world at the Jamaica International Music Awards.

His career could be likened to an album of tunes that are the very tutorials of life – for as always, over the 50-year musical odyssey, vital lessons have been learnt and the melody, maintained, are the very keys still being played about personal resolve and resilience.

This is the makeup of Hal ‘Reggaeman’ Anthony, given name Hal Lewison, the founder and leader of the Fantells, a group formed in Jamaica in 1975 and then relaunched in south Florida in 2024.

It has been an uncanny journey of particular notes. From his teens, music had a hypnotic lure. Back in the days at Maxfield Avenue, in the community of Makka Land, his uncle Norris Weir, lead singer of the group the Jamaicans would rehearse at his grandmother’s house.

“I loved what I heard and I just wanted to sing,” Reggaeman said

He would soon begin rehearsing with the group the School Boys, put together by his uncle’s brother Lawrence Weir, Delroy Melody and the late Jacob Miller. Music, as his passion, pulled him along with his professional pursuits. Living a full life, he kept on singing, and when the Fantells was formed with Leon Brown, Trevor Shields and Laidley Brown he was also a member of the group the Belltones with their popular hit, No More Heartache.

The Fantells worked on the North Coast and enjoyed hits with songs such as Hooligan, Where You Gonna Run and I Can’t Hide.

The Reggaeman’s journey then took him to the United States, singing and playing the guitar and touring with Al Brown and the Inner Force band. He settled in south Florida, creating the group Real Rock, which later became the Millennium Band, touring Europe, South America, and Japan with the likes of Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, Luciano, Leroy Sibbles, Lady Saw, Ken Boothe and The Tennors among others.

He also remains a solo act, performing as Hal Reggaeman Anthony, recording four albums and being part of the winning Jamaica Festival songs from 1966 to 1987.

“Yes … doing solo, and performing and touring with a band ‘is fun, but hard work” he said adding that the Fantells had to be brought together again.

“We received no royalties because producers at the time claimed the copyright,” he said, “so we were unable to claim royalties for over two albums of songs.”

The Fantells regrouped in 2024, with the Reggaeman still as lead and joined by Ted Greaves and Glenroy Davey. They have recorded some of the old hit songs, with new material being done for producers Eugene Gray and Willie Lindo.

Just for You, a new album of lovers rock and message music was launched and they are also working on a new single and music video, Ghetto Girl. Under the management of Copeland Forbes, world tours are currently being organised.