Wayne Wonder receives plaque for going platinum in UK
Singer Wayne Wonder recently received a plaque marking the platinum certification of his hit song, No Letting Go, in the United Kingdom. It was presented to him by the British Photographic Industry (BPI).
No Letting Go, released in 2003, was recorded on the Diwali, a monster rhythm produced by Steven “Lenky” Marsden. It peaked at number three on the British national chart, and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Last October, the BPI certified the single platinum for sales of 600,000 units. No Letting Go is Wayne Wonder’s biggest hit; it is still played on pop radio in the United States, and was used by vice president Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign last year against Donald Trump.
Wonder was already an established star when he cut the song for Marsden. He had chart success with Baby You And I, Saddest Day of my Life, Joy Ride and Bonafide Love (with Buju Banton).
The endurance of No Letting Go has not surprised him.
“I wouldn’t say surprised because ‘Saddest Day’ was done 12 years before No Letting Go and it’s still playing, so it’s a pattern,” he said.
The BPI platinum plaque is the latest accolade for Wayne Wonder. On February 2, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Island SPACE Caribbean Museum during its Reggae Genealogy show in Plantation, Florida.
On March 30, he will receive a similar award at the International Reggae And World Music Awards (IRAWMA) at Coral Springs Center For The Arts.
– Howard Campbell