After he recorded Every Nigger is a Star, Boris Gardiner used to perform the song regularly with his band, The Boris Gardiner Happening. He tells The Sunday Gleaner that people loved it and would dance to it.

These days, though, Gardiner no longer performs the song, the last occasion being at a concert in the now defunct Heineken Startime series.

When The Sunday Gleaner asked Gardiner if he had a problem with the word 'nigger', he said: "I still have a problem today. That's why I don't sing it on stage. I don't want the young generation to get back into it with their friends and family. If it can die out let it die."

Still, he said: "People like the song. It's a good song. It is a pity you can't sing it another way. Another way it doesn't sound right".

For Gardiner to consider singing Every Nigger is a Star, he says "somebody really has to request it hard. Insist".

There have been other performers, though, who have been happy to do their versions of Every Nigger is a Star, Big Youth performing his version at the first staging of Beres Hammond's year-ending A Moment in Time in 2007 to screaming crowds at the National Indoor Sports Centre. His version, done shortly after the original, transferred Every Nigger is a Star into the dance hall, utilising the same lyrics. Then over 20 years later, Supercat did a version on his The Struggle Continues album, the title remaining the same but the words in the chorus amended to:

"Every nigger is a African and also a star

And we know where we coming from an' we know who we are."

Supercat referenced Every Nigger is a Star on record twice, as he used the opening "I'm not sure anymore ..." and melody in the dance hall favourite Nuff Man a Die. He takes that song in the direction of remembrance of dead singers, including Tenor Saw. Frankie Paul has also done a version of Every Nigger is a Star.

There is one performance of Every Nigger is a Star which Boris Gardiner remembers clearly. He did not face a large live audience, though, but was listened to by a massive radio one. He tells The Sunday Gleaner that "in about 1999, (US radio 'shock jock') Howard Stern played it during Black History Month. Some friends of mine were listening. After he played it, he was saying who is this Boris Gardiner, as he had never seen or heard of him".

Immediately one of Gardiner's friends called in, a connection was made and Gardiner spoke to Stern, who invited him to perform Every Nigger is a Star live on the programme. So he went to the US, got four musicians and rehearsed thoroughly. "Friday morning early we were at CBS and I performed it live on radio right there. I had a wonderful time."

Then "a few minutes later, the calls started coming in. And the black people started giving off sound", he said. He told them that if they listened to the lyrics, they would realise that it was something positive.

With that exposure, Gardiner was being encouraged to re-record the song, which he did not do. At the time, too, Gardiner's I Wanna Wake Up With You was relatively fresh and making a tremendous impact in England especially. "The song could have got a nice plug, but he (Stern) was not interested," Gardiner said.

So Every Nigger is a Star stays where it is, as Gardiner says: "It is my gut feeling that the word hurt a lot of people and it is best to keep it from the ears of many. It is best it stays where it is. I not going to push it."