Derrick Morgan gets Key to Lauderhill in Florida

Ska icon Derrick Morgan has received another major honour as the City of Lauderhill in Florida presented the pioneering Jamaican singer with a Key to the City. Morgan was recognised for his contribution to Jamaican popular music, his cultural legacy and the resilient spirit that has carried him through a remarkable career. The ceremony was held last weekend at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center as Jamaicans across South Florida continued celebrations marking the island’s 64th anniversary of independence.

Lauderhill Mayor Denise Grant and Commissioner John T Hodgson conferred the honour on Morgan on behalf of the city, one of the most vibrant Caribbean communities in the United States. Dancehall stars Beenie Man and Busy Signal and reggae queen Marcia Griffiths were also on hand, performing before a large audience during an evening that brought several generations of Jamaican music together under one roof. For Morgan, the recognition carried special significance because of Lauderhill’s enormous Jamaican and Caribbean population — a community so deeply connected to the island that the South Florida city has sometimes been affectionately dubbed “Jamaica Hill.” “It is quite the honour to be recognised by the diaspora here in Lauderhill,” Morgan said.

“Thanks to Mayor Denise Grant and Commissioner John T Hodgson for the Key to the City. It is greatly appreciated, especially on the 64th birthday of our beloved Jamaica. I hope to see many more Independence celebrations.

Forward march on, Jamaica, land we love.” The timing could hardly have been more appropriate. Morgan’s Forward March, released in 1962, became one of the defining musical expressions of Jamaica’s independence era, forever linking his voice to the optimism surrounding the emergence of the new nation. Sixty-four years after Forward March became intertwined with the excitement of Jamaican Independence, the King of Ska is still receiving his flowers.

Lauderhill's Key to the City becomes the latest in a series of honours recognising Morgan's place in Jamaican cultural history. He received a Living Legend Award at the Caribbean Music Awards in 1998. In 2001, the Jamaican Government appointed him an Officer of the Order of Distinction for his contribution to music.

The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, and in 2022, during Jamaica's Diamond Jubil…