2014 Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival Announces Reggae Legend Freddie McGregor Main Headliner During 10-Hours Of Music On August 9th

The Newport Yachting Center event venue and marina continues to be a main source for diverse musical entertainment this summer with the announcement that true reggae legend Freddie McGregor will headline the 5th Annual Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival, along with John Brown’s Body, Mighty Mystic, Etana, New Kingston and Soul Rebel Project, on Saturday, August 9th from Noon to 10:00 p.m.  The flexible general admission tickets, which allow concert attendees to come and go throughout the day-night reggae party are $35 in advance through Friday, July 25th, $45 from July 26th through August 8th and $50 the day of the Festival.  In addition to the musicians, the Festival features the Reggae Pit with authentic Jamaican food options, multiple bars featuring cold beers, festive island cocktails and a marketplace of vendors offering clothing, artisan goods, jewelry, body art and much more.  For the ultimate reggae fan, an exclusive Rocksteady Pass is available for $80 in limited quantities which offers one all-day pass, reserved “Deck” seating for a great view of the main stage, cocktail service, a complimentary beverage, a complimentary Red Stripe beer and a water bottle courtesy of Seagram’s Escapes.  All tickets can be purchased online at www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.

The Festival’s main headliner, Freddie McGregor, is a reggae icon and one of the genre’s most soulful singers who has spanned every stylistic shift in Jamaican music since the late 1960s, from ska and rocksteady to roots reggae and lovers rock.  Born in Jamaica, McGregor’s recorded the classics “Rastaman Camp”, “I am a Rasta”, “Mark of the Beast”, “Sergeant Brown” and “Walls of Jericho” throughout the 1970s.  In 1980, he released the album,Bobby Bobylon, which was widely popular throughout Jamaica and established McGregor as a budding star.  McGregor followed that album up with the hit single “Big Ship” which catapulted him to the top of the reggae scene in the post-Marley era.  He extended his creative hot streak to an international audience with “Push Came to Shove” in 1986 and a cover of the Main Ingredient’s “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely” which made the U.K. Top 10 in 1987.  After slowing the pace in the 1990s, McGregor released the Grammy-nominated Anything for You in 2002.  His latest album release is Di Captain.

The Newport Yachting Center is located on the waterfront in the heart of historic downtown Newport right on America's Cup Avenue.  The venue features a covered concert tent and ample open air space with stunning views of Newport Harbor.  Guests can enjoy “The Point”, a dockside lounge with expanded bars and good eats from Julian’s, during and after the festivals.

For more information on the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival, please visit www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or contact Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager at the Newport Yachting Center via mail at mpalmieri@newportyachtingcenter.com or call (401) 846-1600, Ext. 222. To receive future Newport Yachting Center Music Festival and Newport Concert Series headliner announcements, presale opportunities or exclusive packages, sign up at newportwaterfrontevents.com and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents.