Reggae star Tarrus Riley will perform at tonight’s Bermuda Easter Fiesta as planned.

There were doubts over whether he would be able to take to the stage after his father, iconic singer and producer Jimmy Riley, died on Tuesday.

But the Jamaican reggae artist is keen to go ahead with the show, although his arrival on the island has been delayed.

Dean Fraser, the legendary reggae saxophonist and musical director of the singer’s band, confirmed yesterday that Mr Riley remained committed to the gig.

“Tarrus is very serious about what he does and he knows his duty, so he will be here,” Mr Fraser said. “I can tell you will get 150 per cent from him.”

Mr Riley, who is due to arrive in Bermuda today, is performing on the same ticket tonight as his late father’s friend, Cocoa Tea, and Etana.

Jimmy Riley died at 61 after a long battle with cancer.

“The passing of Jimmy is very sad,” Mr Fraser added. “We had anticipated it somewhat but it just seemed to have come at a rapid speed.”

The singer enjoyed success in the 1970s and 1960s with his group The Sensations and the re-formed Uniques, which featured his high school friend, the late Slim Smith.

He eventually began producing his own recordings and for other artists such as Delroy Wilson and had several hits in the 1970s, including Tell The Youths The Truth , Nyah Bingi and Clean up the Streets.

The late Mr Riley continued to be successful in the 1980s, working with Sly & Robbie’s Taxi productions, topping the British reggae chart with his version of Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing in 1983.

“Jimmy has always been for me one of the most soulful singers in Jamaica music, because we are talking about three or four decades of music,” Mr Fraser said. “He started out with another great singer called Slim Smith, who unfortunately died also, and they were like best friends. Jimmy was also very close to Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. I knew him being very, very close to these people, so he has always been there and one of the connoisseurs of the music.

“It’s a very big loss for reggae because his voice was totally different but very soulful. It created a very big impact in the Eighties, of course, with all of these great songs that he did. This will be a big loss.”

Tarrus Riley spoke of his father’s influence on his career in an interview this month with The Royal Gazette.

“My father is the one who introduced me to the music business,” he said. “He never taught me music. But he brought me around the music and because I loved it so much I picked up so fast. I used to follow and hang out with him when he was doing his work.”

Mr Fraser, who toured Bermuda in the 1980s with the late Dennis Brown and King Yellowman, has fond memories of those days.

“Jimmy would take Tarrus to the studios early in the morning and he would do what he’s doing while Tarrus sat there learning and consuming everything that happened,” Mr Fraser said. “Tarrus would go to the studio with his father and would question everybody. That’s how I met Tarrus, as this little youth walking around with Jimmy who would question me from morning until night.

“His father had the most influence in him being the star that he is today.”