A bottle hit a singer in the head at a live show in Richmond, Virginia. Frederick “Toots” Hibbert was injured when 19-year-old William C. Lewis threw a bottle onto the stage during the Dominion Riverrock music festival. The bottle struck Hibbert in the head.
Toots & the Maytals were forced to stop playing after the bottle hit the singer. Hibbert, age 70, was taken to the hospital for treatment as the vodka bottle left a gaping wound. Witnesses report that Hibbert was bleeding heavily from his head.
As reported by UPI , Hibbert required around 10 stitches to treat the injury. He has now been discharged from the hospital, and is reportedly in “good spirits.” A manager for the music festival states that Hibbert expressed appreciation for his fans in Richmond, and pointed out that “he wanted to come back, and he understood this was just one bad apple, basically.”
Management for the production company, that planned the festival, will be examining their current security procedures.
William C. Lewis has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, for throwing the bottle that hit the singer.
Toots and the Maytals are legends in the reggae and ska music scene. As stated at TootsAndTheMaytals.com , the band is known for their “unique combination of gospel, ska, soul, reggae and rock.”
Lead singer Hibbert, or “Toots,” is a native of Jamaica. He got his start singing gospel with the church choir as a child.
Hibbert eventually formed a band with several other musicians. They released their first album, Never Grow Old , in 1964. The original album, including some new material, was re-released in 1997.
Toots and the Maytals’ music was featured in the film The Harder They Come , which Vanity Fair included in their Top 10 Best Soundtracks of all time list.
[Bottle strikes Hibbert at 4:27 mark]
According to the Toots and the Maytals website, the next leg of their 2013 tour will feature acoustic music, and will begin on May 26. The band has not announced a postponement or cancellation for the remainder of their tour.
The remainder of the Dominion Riverrock music festival was cancelled after the bottle hit the singer in the head. Thankfully, “Toots” is recovering, and does not harbor any resentment toward the residents of Richmond, for the thoughtless behavior of one.
[Image via Flickr ]
