The great Joe GIbbs pasted away on February 21, 2008. Here is a press release from legendary reggae label VP Records:

VP Records sends its sincerest condolences for one of the greatest losses in reggae history. The legendary producer Joe Gibbs (born Joel A. Gibson) has passed away at the age of 65.

This influential man behind and in front of the boards was a major pioneering force from the late ‘60s, early ‘70s rock steady/roots era to the early ‘80s dancehall era, known for his seminal releases such as, "Two Sevens Clash" by Culture, "Someone Loves You Honey" by J.C. Lodge, as well as his influential four chapter African Dub Series.

VP Records President Chris Chin expresses, "We want to take this time to remember a truly pivotal producer in the reggae business. Our prayers go out to his loved ones. His spirit and music will live on. "

Joe Gibbs, and the late Errol Thompson, have an exclusive worldwide agreement with VP Records vintage imprint, 17 North Parade, to re-release his complete catalog, including the Barrington Levy Collection (Apr. 26th), Joe Gibbs Reggae Anthology (May 2008) and many more.

17 North Parade (VP Records) A&R Fidel Luna states, "The legendary Joe Gibbs to me is one of the most humble, straightforward and pleasant people I have ever encountered in the music business. His contributions to Reggae as a hit-making producer and distributor are truly second to none."

Sirius Satellite's Reggae Rhythms channel will air his last interview on Sunday, March 2nd when they debut their new weekly series ‘Sunday Classics'.

Rest in peace Joe Gibbs.

I bet everyone here has already checked this out but but if you haven't here is a link to the "World'sGreatest Music Collection" Over three million records! Unfortunately we can't find out records are included although it looks like there are some gems like "Precious Memories" by DJ Robbie D and all five of the Elvis Presley Sun 45s. Unfortunately I don't think any of us DJs can afford $3 million but maybe if we formed some kind of DJ Alliance to each put in $300 we could split up the findings. Too bad we only have less than a day left.

If you haven't checked out ReRelease.net do so now!  This great new digital record label reissues rare funk, jazz, and other strange odd bits. The album we'd like to focus on is the Spaced Out album by Thesda. Thesda was a group from the 70s started by Eugene Hagburg, then a Director of the Management Academy for the United States Postal Service. The name for the group was a nickname for their hometown of Bethsda, Maryland. The album was lost for years before a record collector picked it up in a thrift store last year. Don't forget to check out their other releases including their Massachusetts Jazz series which artists like the Mark Harvey Group and Arni Cheatham.

I have to recommend this website for its record shopping guide. The folks at discostyle.com have traveled the world to give us a look at the best places to dig for those rare disco 12s. The writers at discostyle.com provide vinyl shopping guides to London, Tokyo, Milan, Paris, Seattle, and many more hot spots. They also provide interesting commentary on local sights. You can check them out here at Destinations: Disco Record Shoppers Guide.