Legend album jumps from 100 to #5 on chart

CURTIS CAMPBELL, STAR Writer

Reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers has finally hit the top ten of the Billboard chart, with their highest-selling album, Legend. The Marleys are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album this year, and recently announced that internationally renowned ice-cream company Ben & Jerry would be releasing a special flavour of their product, in respect of the Legend album.

According to Billboard.com which says the album sold 41,000 copies in the week ending September 7, the sales of the album skyrocketed, due to a cost reduction.

“The set’s big gain is owed to the Google Play store discounting the title to 99-cents during the tracking week. The digital album normally sells for around $8,” stated Billboard’s website.

The price discount resulted in the album jumping from number 100 on the Billboard chart to number five which is now a record for the legendary band and Bob Marley.

Legend was released in 1984 by Island Records and is the best selling reggae album of all time, with more than 13 million copies sold in the United States and approximately 25 million copies sold globally.

The album was also ranked number 46 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. As of August 2014, it has spent a total of 290 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.

Will Smith in his hit movie I Am Legend described the Legend album as the best ever.

“He (Bob Marley) had this idea. Kind of a virologist idea. He believed that you can cure racism and hate; literally cure it, by injecting music and love into people’s lives. When he was scheduled to perform at a peace rally, a gunman came to his house and shot him down. Two days later, he walked onstage and sang. Somebody asked him, “Why?” He said, ‘The people who are trying to make the world worse are not taking a day off. How can I?”, Smith relayed to a fellow actor.

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Legend album jumps from 100 to #5 on chart

Conductor jumps through station window

DEON P GREEN, Star Writer

A St Thomas bus conductor who has been accused of jumping through the window of a police station recently is to go on trial next month.

The accused man will appear in the Morant Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court on July 28 for destruction of property.

When the accused man, 28-year-old Dwayne Panton, of a Morant Bay address appeared in court on June 25, the judge dismissed his explanation and set the trial date.

An informed source told THE STAR that it is being alleged that; “Him fly through the window and knock it out . Him land in the grass and was motionless for a while, then him get up, rush to the pipe to wash out his eyes. The police chased him and caught him again.”

It was said that Panton received several cuts from the window and had to be taken to hospital for treatment,

Allegations are that the conductor was travelling in a van that was reportedly stopped by the police concerning a traffic offence. It’s alleged that the conductor became violent and had a scuffle with the police officer, resulting in him being restrained and taken to the police station.

Panton told the court that at the time of the incident he was taken to the police station in handcuffs. He added that he was being roughed up and beaten with a baton. As for jumping through the window he said he could not tell what had happened as he was pepper sprayed by a policeman, “I can’t accept your explanation,” the judge said as she set the trial date.

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Conductor jumps through station window

General Accident"s net income jumps by 41%

General Accident Insurance Company Jamaica saw its net profit increase by 41 per cent.

Profit for the three months ended June 2013 was $80 million, up from $53.9 million during the corresponding period.The improved performance reflected higher gross premium revenue and better underwriting profit.Underwriting profit, which is the income generated from the company’s core business of underwriting insurance, was $32 million for the three months ended June 2013, up from $16 million during the corresponding period.The company, which listed on the Jamaica Junior Stock Exchange last year, has a portfolio mix of seven classes, with property and motor being the primary oneImprovements in net commission contributed to the increase in profit from General Accident’s core business – commercial, property and motor, which saw healthy organic growth, the company said.Commissions expense improved, to $6.5 million during the three months ended June 2013, down from $78 million during the comparative period.Commission income earned from reinsurers grew by two per cent to $84 million during the review period, moving from $82 million in the corresponding period last year.The company executed some facultative transactions on behalf of large domestic and multinational clients, according to the general insurer.General Accident said it did not take up the significant risks that were associated with the large domestic and multinational clients.But claims expenses increased by 33 per cent to $157 million during the quarter under review, up from $117 million.Its gross premiums written for the third quarter 2013 was $2 billion, 23 per cent more than the same period last year. While net premiums written during the quarter under review was four per cent higher, moving from $265 million to $254 million.Investment income for the period under review increased by 33 per cent to $52 million, down from $39 million to $52 million.During the six months ended June, the company posted $145 million in investment income; this is an increase of 68 per cent compared to $86 million last year.“This represents an annualised return on our average investment portfolio of 12 per cent, well in excess of inflation and the returns on benchmark Government of Jamaica fixed-income securities,” the company said.An aerial view of General Accident.

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General Accident"s net income jumps by 41%