Legendary Jamaican guitarist/producer Ernest Ranglin and his representatives have hit back at claims by Bluesfest that the reggae musician cancelled his appearance at the festival after he “took a bigger offer.”
Last Friday, the organisers of Bluesfest 2014 had announced that the influential musician, who has worked with a range of reggae legends from Bob Marley to Jimmy Cliff, would no longer be making the trip to play the 25th Silver Anniversary edition of the event next April as part of the Jamaican Legends show alongside Sly & Robbie and Bitty McClean.
In a rather frank statement, Bluesfest organisers noted they were “profoundly disappointed” in Ranglin’s cancellation following confusion with booking the 81-year-old through various agents, confirming the Jamaican Legend through an agent they’d perviously worked with before receiving an email from a separate agent prior to the cancellation.
“Read into this what you will!” read Bluesfest’s statement. “What we read into it… is that he took a bigger offer after having previously confirmed ours.”
Now Ranglin has offered his side of events, offering a right of reply to Noise11 in which he explains his withdrawal and faces the claims that he took a better offer. “The reputation of probably [the] most influential Jamaican artists of all time has been damaged with such negligence.”
“I must exercise my right of reply to the news media and my audience. My agent had made some bookings and responses for booking(s) in Australia of which I was not aware. I regret the problems associated with that action taken by my agent and apologize to all,” writes Ranglin.
The veteran guitarist also replies to Bluesfest’s claim that “Jamaica has been one of the more difficult” countries to deal with artists with over the years.
“The Jamaican Music Industry procedure in regards to agents and bookings is for agents to contact the artiste with a request for performing on a show. After the artiste looks at the Terms and Conditions presented to them in written contract, then, the artiste will make a decision whether to accept or not to accept the contract,” Ranglin says, insisting that he was no aware he was booked for Bluefest; “I was not asked to look at a contract,” he said.
Additionally, Christian Georgiadis of French-based booking agency, Bacana s.a.r.l. – who currently represents Ernest Ranglin – explains they were not contacted or involved in the negotiations for Bluesfest, further adding that Ranglin had not booked any shows or taken “a bigger offer.”
“I can confirm in writing that Mr Ranglin hasn’t been confirmed by us at any event during the period of Bluesfest,” Georgiadis tells The Music. “The reputation of the probably most influential Jamaican artists of all times has been damaged with such negligence. Mr Ranglin is a humble and decent person and he is not deserving to be treated in such way.”
Bluesfest organisers are currently ‘exploring other options’ for a replacement for Ranglin on the Jamaican Legend series, part of the second Bluesfest 2014 lineup announcement that featured Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs, Aaron Neville, and more alongside the already announced headliners John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, and John Butler Trio.
The complete Bluesfest 2014 lineup promises a total of over 200 performances across seven stages and given that a number of the bands name-checked over the Bluesfest forums turned up in the first two announcements, it’s a good place to start for guesses over future lineup additions, with the likes of Tom Jones, Trombone Shorty, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, the Black Crowes, the Black Keys, and more tossed into the rumour mill.
Bluesfest 2014 Lineup
Doobie Brothers
Aaron Neville
Gregg Allman
Boz Scaggs
India.Arie
Suzanne Vega
Steve Earle & The Dukes
Dr John & The Nite TrippersErnest Ranglin
Sly & Robbie
Bitty McLean
Jimmie Vaughan
The Wailers
Ozomatli
CW Stoneking
Larry Graham & Graham Central Station
Grandmothers of Invention
The Magic Band
Robben Ford
The Paladins
Music Maker Foundation Feat. Pat Wilder, Cool John Ferguson, and Little Freddie King
Joining the already announced Bluesfest 2014 lineup of:
John Mayer
Dave Matthews Band
John Butler Trio
Erykah Badu
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Iron & Wine
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Devendra Banhart
Morcheeba
Gary Clark Jr
KT Tunstall
Allen Stone
Valerie June
Nikki Hill
and many more to come!
Bluesfest 2014 Dates & Tickets
25th Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest
Thursday 17th – Monday 21st April, 2014
All Single Day, Camping, Festival tickets are on sale now through www.bluesfest.com.au and Bluefest office on 02 6685 8310
Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster on www.ticketmaster.com.au
Bluesfest playing schedule is available on www.bluesfest.com.au
