Third World

The State Room Presents Reggae Ambassadors Third World with Special Guest Kumar Fyah THIRD WORLD Kumar Fyah SAT, 15 AUG 2026 at 08:00PM MDT Ages: 21 & Over Doors Open: 07:00PM OnSale: Fri, 3 Jul 2026 at 10:00AM MDT Announcement: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 at 10:00AM MDT 53 Years of Reggae Excellence Third World is one of the longest - lived Reggae bands of all time, and one of Jamaica ’ s most consistently popular crossover acts among international audiences. Mixing in elements of R&B, funk, pop, and rock and, later on , dancehall and rap, Third World ’ s style has been described as “ reggae - fusion. ” Singer Bunny Rugs described the band ’ s sound: “ Strictly a reggae band, no. Definitely a reggae band, yes. ” Guitarist Stephen “ Cat ” Coore, OD said of their music: “ The hybrid of various types of music is a natural thing because, by growing up in Jamaica, we know the direct roots of reggae and ska. At the same time, we live in a country where you get to hear Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and all the R&B artists. ” Bassist Richard Daley said, “ We took roots reggae music and put branches on top of it. ” Third World in 2026 brings together an exceptional collection of musicians: foundation member and honorary bassist Richard Daley , who has been part of the band ’ s DNA since 1973; Tony “ Ruptio n ” Williams , the heartbeat of Third World for the past 29 years, driving the band with his masterful command of the drums & djembe ; keyboardists and vocalists Norris “ Noriega ” Webb and Maurice Gregory , adding rich layers of harmony; the commanding lead voc als of AJ Brown ; the groove - anchoring bass of Richie Barr ; and guitarist Richard “ Wiggz ” Walters , honoring the legacy of the legendary Stephen “ Cat ” Coore . Together they bring decades of combined excellence to every performance. Together, this extraordinar y ensemble carries forward a tradition of musical excellence that has earned Third World 9 Grammy nominations, a 1986 United Nations Peace Medal , the Keys to multiple American cities, and on Jamaican Independence Day 2025, the Jamaican Music Icon Award — p resented by Prime Minister Andrew Holness before more than 35,000 people at the Grand Gala. Rolling Stone named founding guitarist Stephen “ Cat ” Coore #92 on their list of the 200 Greatest Guitarists of all time. Third World are also proud “ Goodwill Ambass adors ” for the Issa Trust Foundation , supporting pediatric care in rural Jamaica, and “ Oceans Ambassadors ” for the Alligator Head Foundation ’ s Clean Ocean initiatives in Portland, Jamaica. A Legacy Five Decades in the Making Third World was founded in King ston in 1973 by guitarist/cellist Stephen “ Cat ” Coore , keyboardist Michael “ Ibo ” Cooper , and bassist Richard Daley , growing out of Jamaica ’ s vibrant club and hotel scene as one of the few fully self - contained bands on the island. Percussionist Irvin “ Carrot ” Jarrett joined in 1974, and in 1975 the band made a bold leap — traveling to England with no confirmed bookings — and landed a deal with Chris Blackwell ’ s Island Records, going out as the opening act for Bob Marley & the Wailers ’ 1975 World Tour. Their self - titled debut followed in 1976. Then came 96° in the Shade (1977), introducing lead singer William “ Bunny Rugs ” Clarke and William Stewart on drums, becoming a massive critical hit in the UK and Europe. The commercial breakthrough arrived with Jo urney to Addis BIO THIRD WORLD 53 years of musical excellence .docx (1978) and a funky reggae cover of the O ’ Jays ’ “ Now That We ’ ve Found Love, ” which cracked the American R&B Top Ten and the British pop Top Ten, making Third World international stars. “ Cool Meditation ” followed into the UK Top 20 . The hits c ontinued: “ Dancing on the Floor (Hooked on Love) ” went UK Top 10 in 1981, and that same year Stevie Wonder joined them onstage at Reggae Sunsplash , then wrote and produced two tracks for You ’ ve Got the Power (1982), including the near - R&B Top 20 smash “ Try Jah Love. ” Through the ’80 s, Grammy - nominated Hold On to Love (1987) , produced with legendary songwriters Gamble and Huff, deepened their legacy. Their 1989 Mercury debut Serious Business introduced multi - instrumentalist Rupert “ Gypsy ” Bent III to the line up and produced “ Forbidden Love ” — one of the first commercially successful fusions of reggae and rap — reaching the R&B Top 20. Further Grammy nominations followed with Generation Coming (1999), Ain ’ t Givin ’ Up (2003), Black, Gold & Green (2005), Pat riots (2011) and the Damian “ Jr. Gong ” Marley - produced More Work to Be Done (2019) , featuring Tessanne Chin, Chronixx, Tarrus Riley, Busy Signal and Damian Marley himself. After 53 years, through every evolution and every era, Third World remains exactly what it has always been: one of Jamaica ’ s greatest gifts to the world.