Contents - Beth Lesser

The Sing-jay Style
TalenT ShowS
In the ‘50s and ‘60s, when sounds were operated, played and deejayed by a
lone selector, singers were rarely heard in the dance. Who needed a singer live
in the dance when vocals were freely available on records and dubplates? Back
in the ‘60s, while deejays could get all the training they needed in the dance,
singers typically had to go through the talent show circuit.
Amateur talent competitions were a mainstay of Jamaican entertainment.
That’s where singers like John Holt started out. Performing in these shows
wasn’t easy. According to producer and singer Winston Riley, if the audience
didn’t think you were up to par, they would “stone yuh down”. *
In the ‘‘50s and ‘60s, the Vere John’s Opportunity Hour provided an opening
for new artists to get exposure in front of an audience. That’s where Derrick
Morgan got his first exposure, doing his Little Richard imitations. On
any given show, he might be competing against Jackie Edwards, Hortense
Ellis, Eric Monty Morris, or Owen Gray.
“Every Tuesday night,” Pluggy Satchmo explains, “[Vere John] put four
singer, four dancer together and you get first and second [prize]. Two pounds
for first prize and one pound for second prize – but it run to 15 weeks. So,
when you win this week, the first and the second go aside, till he get first and
second now, ten of we again. Then he put all the first together and then pick
again for ten weeks and then [at] the ending of the 10 weeks, we have about
six artists – three dancer and three singer and then we have a big show now.
That is the final. He might give you say five pound for first and three for the
second prize.” The rule was that after you won, you couldn’t enter again. But
you could appear as a guest artist. Many performers regularly did the rounds,
appearing on different stages, keeping it up for years. If they had talent, they
might be picked up by a producer. If not, they often just kept on trying,
gaining invaluable experience and training along the way. Even into the ‘70s,
performers like Fredlocks, Gregory Isaacs and Earl 16 used talent shows to get
their start performing.
Youth Clubs also provided another outlet for young musicians. The Victors
Youth Club, at Chocomo Lawn, was one example. Run by future Prime Minister
Edward Seaga, the club gave a start to artists like Ken Boothe, Marcia
Griffiths, Jimmy Cliff, Delroy Wilson and Stranger Cole. “The Victors train
guys to play instruments and sing,” Winston Riley explains. “Anything you
* Winston Riley perfects musical ‘Techniques’, Krista Henry, Jamaican Gleaner, May 18, 2008,
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