In reply to Chrissy
I think Mr. Gaskin might be mistaken about the location of Jackie Opel's death. As a child growing up I was pointed to a location of death that was not on Bay Street. Don't remember the name of the street though.
In reply to Walco
I was always told it was Bay Street
In reply to Oilah
I was shown a spot in that corner on Upper Collymore Rock Road just past Culloden Road . You pass the old Boys Scouts Headquarters and Banks Brewery after that corner. The road also passes the QEH and Purity Bakery on the way out of town. Had to go to a map to figure out the name of the road 
In reply to Walco
In reply to FuzzyWuzzy
Thanks Fuzzy. He died on my birthday.
In reply to Walco
Too sad. Best male Bajan singer to date.
In reply to Chrissy
Link Text My favourite
Eternal Love
In reply to openning
Nice.
Bob Clarke was playing him on Iriefm yesterday.
Happy New Year bro. 
In reply to Chrissy
Happy New Year, Prof.
The first time I saw him, people in my district, did not believe he was Jackie.
He had just returned from Jamaica, and was in my Cousin's shop, singing along to the Jukebox, he said he was Jackie Opel, and very few people believe him.
He made a date to returned the Friday evening, because the Country people were paid on Fridays.
He sang all his songs, that evening
I became more acquainted with him, when I worked in the hotel business, he was very close to my best friend, who was from Deacon's Road, and would visit the hotel every Wednesday night, when the group he played with was there.
He had a problem with the hotel and his contract was cancelled, but would come to the hotel, anyway.
He died a few weeks, before I immigrated to Canada, my friend and I was at the Westbury Cemetery for his funeral .
We saw him upstaging Percy Sledge, with his performance at the Globe cinema
When one name Barbados singers, Jackie has to be among the top.
Spooge and Jackie is to him, the same as Reggae to Jamaica.
In reply to openning
Man that must have been a night to remember.
In reply to Chrissy
Jamaica was at one time the anglophone Caribbean's melting pot. On PJ's thread on soca in Ja, I mentioned T&T musicians Lord Creator, Lord Laro and Lynn Taitt who made the Yard their home and contributed significantly to the music. In the early 90's I had met a Trinidadian musician on Miami Beach who told me he had earlier worked in Jamaica. In talking about the various non-Yardies in the business he told me that he believed that Jackie Opel was a founder of the Skatalites. To be honest with you, I was incredulous, but I just looked up the group on Wikipedia and whaddyaknow...
In reply to JayMor
Yes I heard that too. You're right.
Roland was Cuban, right?
In reply to Chrissy
In reply to Oilah
Jackie like Mighty Gabby is from Chapman's Lane.
In reply to JayMor
Interesting and yes the two countries have always been close until others tried and failed to destroy our relationship.
In reply to seaegg99
Are they relatives?
In reply to FuzzyWuzzy
In reply to seaegg99
"DE Lane" producing ballers cricketers and singers 
I was five years old when he died.
Never met him. But damn I would have liked to meet him.
He left Barbados in the early Sixties on a boat to Jamaica in connection with joining Byron Lee but ended up with the Skatalites and doing a lot of recordings in Studio One with Coxxone Dodds.
To me the greatest Barbadian entertainer ever...he could sing, an eight octave voice, he could dance, he could write and he could play the bass guitar.
He died in that exact area facing London Bourne Towers now,just before u reach the Boat Yard night club...he was in his Cosmopolitan convertible driven by a lady...the lady survived and he was thrown from the car bursting open his head on a strong chain link fence...all these things I have been told from media reports and personal accounts.
Barbados didn't recognize him when he returned from Jamaica with his strange hair style (knotty hair). Some hoteliers refused to let him sing in their hotels but he was accepted by Syd Jones and his Troubadours and he became their lead singer. He invented a beat called SPOUGE which started off with a cow bell lead in YOU GOT TO PAY (1969)...and then changed to a bass lead with softer cow bell in YOU'RE NO GOOD (1970).
The new album with the new groovy beat sounding like a cousin to reggae was set to be launched at a show on Wednesday 11 March 1970 at the Globe Cinema when he died in the wee hours of Monday morning March 9 1970. Ironically he was buried at a huge funeral in West Bury Cemetery on the day Wednesday of his launch album performance.
In my opinion he should never have returned to Barbados. He wanted acceptance and recognition from Barbados but the people as a whole were not ready to embrace a man from poor upbringings as a great artist and future legend. the state of his grave today empathizes my point...
Link Text
Also ironic that his grave overlooks Westbury road very close to the gap of Rihanna's childhood residence (the area Westbury Road recently renamed
Rihanna Drive) further up
In reply to analyst-kid
In reply to analyst-kid
Great post bro
In reply to analyst-kid
When was that picture taken? 1950? Man I don't remember ever seeing Bay Street with so little traffic during the daytime 
That little corner was the first place on Bay Street that came to mind as a potential location.
In reply to analyst-kid
In reply to openning
if you worked at Paradise Beach Club, you would have to know of me...my address is Near Paradise Beach Club,Black Rock St Michael.
In reply to Walco
that is a very recent picture...nothing like the Bay Street corner of 1970.
In reply to openning
Born Dalton Sinclair Bishop, Jackie Opel AKA 'Manface' did not get the respect he deserved in Bim. Thanks for your first person accounts guys.
"Jackie Opel was musical from an early age. He would earn pennies from his singing by swimming out to the liners that docked in Bridgetown Harbour and performing to the passengers. He got the nickname ’Man face’ on account he looked older than he was although physically Opel was small. It was the major hotels where Jackie Opel learnt to perform on stage and where the visiting Byron Lee, the band master of the Dragonaires spotted him. Lee realised that Opel’s six octave voice was a rare gift and he had plans for Jackie to front the Dragonaires. Around 1960 and already married to a Trinidadian (Opel later took Trinidadian citizenship) Jackie left his home island with Byron Lee and The Dragonaires for Jamaica. The union quickly dissolved and there appears to be no records to suggest they made it together to a recording studio. Jackie had other designs in Jamaica , the advent of ‘Dancehall’ which were basically travelling sound systems were bringing American R&B to the mass of the population and Jamaican music , free from the colonial shackles of the fifties was about to take a radical shift. Jackie Opel would be at the forefront of the changes." (Link below)
Here is a good read on Jackie Opel
You're no good
In reply to pelon
Nice read. While reading I kept wondering if his family gets royalties for his recordings.
I remember hearing my aunt who was a 19 year old at that time hollering and crying through the household "Jackie dead! Jackie dead!" when the news hit the nation that morning.
I remember his brother crying and giving a tribute on CBC TV later that week (Stupid CBC has erased all the nuff footage of that tribute and many of Jackie's performances on Studio Party,a local show)
An older neighbour of mine, Tony "Prince" who said he used to drum for Jackie said the week before his death he was doing all kinds of crazy things...like driving round in the Cosmoplitan convertible in his underwear, many times being driven by someone and he sitting high on the back seats...I always used to wonder if that was the case behind his death...the story abounds that the car had no good brakes (or none atall ..Jackie had no licence either!)...in fact Ken Jones (of the Troubadours) in an interview recently joked that they warned him about the Cosmopolitan.
I for one has had not much regard for Barbadians and their regard for the arts, culture and entertainment, myself being a former President of the Entertainers Union. In fact I would always argue that Barbadians are culturally backward in respect to my experiences and their treatment of Jackie.
Jackie should have done like his Jamaicans peers and headed for England. Barbados was backward (still is) and not ready. Reggae would have exploded in the 1970s and Jackie as a top singer/songwriter would have easily become a superstar. Whilst in Barbados, A tour to Australia was planned after his ill fated album launch.
In reply to Walco
I don't think his family get any royalties..at least Im not sure (I worked with Jackie's niece a while)...what I do know is that Coxsone and his estate receives the bulk.
In reply to analyst-kid
Interesting ... most artists are more concerned with creating art than protecting their financial interests. So I'm not surprised.
In reply to pelon
Nice man - I think it's time to clean up his grave and give him his due in his homeland.
In reply to pelon
Great link dat "good read", Pelon. I'll be putting it to use. Thanks.
--Æ.
In reply to analyst-kid
In reply to JayMor
Nice read fi true
In reply to JayMor & Chrissy
Cheers!
Here is one of the first recordings: Worrel's Captaincy (which coincidentally we are on a CRICKET site sharing his 1st record... about cricket!!)
A very versatile singer:
Lonely Tear
Forever and Ever (range!)
OLD ROCKING CHAIR (ska)
Finally: Let's listen to this voice.... Fly me to the Moon
In reply to Chrissy
Thanks for bringing Jackie up, sis; he was really due.
--Æ.
In reply to pelon
As I said, Missa P, I plan to make use of these news and memory refreshers of the great man. Will let you know.
--Æ.
In reply to JayMor
In reply to analyst-kid
Thanks for your post! Man, where would bajan music be without Jackie? Lawd he was special
Richard Stoute
Tony "Poser" Grazette
Draytons Two: Drink Milk [ such an original sound and song! ]
Troubadours International (Talk)
The Escorts
BRC
Shirley Stewart
The Outfit (Rickey Amey)
De Opels (Midge and Hubert) [ Bring your Sweet Loving ]
on and on owe his honor a debt of gratitude.
Bunny B. of WIRL sold his catalogue years back, but we really need to archive and treasure our unique Spouge in a significant way. The masters are rotting, many lost forever.
cheers to all fans of MUSIC
In reply to pelon
Love that Rediffusion box and kerosene lamp in in the videos. Memory lane stuff
In reply to pelon
I thought I knew every piece of old time cricket music. Thanks man.
In reply to JayMor
Thank Bob Clarke for playing him Sunday on Irie - got me thinking _ I was a big fan moving up and down the Caribbean.
In reply to Walco
To be fair to him though, even people who didn't get their just royalties big him up still; he gave many their start, etc.
In reply to JayMor
Coxsone was boss...
In reply to pelon and JayMor
Which one ah wunna right? Yuh fight gangsta wid gangsta or wid obeahman?
In reply to pelon
In reply to Walco
Maybe Jackie's Bajan obeah wasn't going to be potent enough on the J'can scene??? LOL.
In reply to Pelon
Never heard that story but knowing a bit about Bunny it could be true. Coincidence is one heluva thing, as you know; Kong was gwine to have heart attack whether Bunny threatened or not.
--Æ.
In reply to pelon
It was Jackie's death in 1970 that inspired the spouge revival in 1973 led by the Drayton's Two although local expert and Jackie's manager Mark Williams ( he told me this personally after he heard me talking the above on the local radio station) maintains that gospel legend Joseph Niles maintained the use of spouge in his gospel after Jackie's death.
(This is the first time this is mentioned anywhere re Joseph Niles involvement...Bajans not strong on artistic/cultural documentation,archiving and establishing discographies of which they are none)
Spouge all the Way (original)
Unfortunately although you called it an original song...Drink Milk by Draytons Milk was not original. Like most of their early hits they were remakes of Jamaican songs.
Draytons Two big song Drink Milk
Drink Milk by Justin Hinds and the Dominoes
Draytons Seven Books
Toots and the Maytals
Draytons Two- Stick By Me
John Holt
Nothing wrong with that really...Jamaica had a thriving recording industry.
Joseph Niles..How Great Thou Art in Spouge!
Eternal Love Jackie's original song 1965 done in the famous Studio One
Clarendonians
Horace Andy
Delano Stewart
Jackie's singing partner in the Skatalites...Doreen Shaffer
Clarence Thompson with spouge
The Bob MARLEY Museum actually credits JAckie Opel with being a huge influence on young Robert Nesta Marley...
check it and see...Saw it myself when it opened ...Went to Honor Bob and the first thing I was told as a Bajan was that they had a surprise for me...Jackie Opel s influence on Bob..
In reply to powen001
True
In reply to powen001
I tell wunnuh Bob was a bajan!! I think he come from Marleyvale!! 
In reply to analyst-kid
In reply to culpepperboy
You never fail 
In reply to Chrissy
You are not the only one saying I should take up that mantle. Many older oral historians have told me this.
If JACKIE influenced Bob...remember it was the JAMAICAN existing recording and music industry that made him (Jackie) the star he is.
Jamaica has always had a huge influence on Barbados musical landscape and the rest of the West Indies.
It was the spirit of independence that spurred Jamaicans to create their own sound and beat...Jackie was taken up in this spirit and returned to Barbados to create hos own sound and beat for his homeland....but he was rejected.
In reply to analyst-kid
What you don't know is that more Jamaican music was played on radio in Guyana than in Jamaica. Don't ever think Bob or any of them were accepted here. People associated with the Sound Systems and original dance hall loved the local music but it was not played on air.
Acceptance among Jamaicans and other Caribbean peeps in London and the US pushed the music. It is true that the conscious middle class loved it but they were a minority. On the other hand, nuff Jamaicans and other Caribbean peeps abroad (including college and university students) used to go to the live shows and both UK and American musicians loved the genre.
I think if Jackie had lived longer things may have been different in Bim, despite resistance from those who resist anything original or authentic from these parts.
Our region is full of mimic men and women.
Lots of these hypocrites didn't accept Bob until Time gave him album of the century.
In reply to openning
You are the only one on here who met Jackie in person. What say you about the stories of his erratic behavior shortly before his death?
In reply to analyst-kid
ROY BYER hAS/had treasure trove of material Site..
And that was when I was active in Kaiso back in the early 90's...He wanted me to see how he archived stuff ..it was impressive.
In reply to Chrissy
Well said
In reply to powen001
so who u think it was advocating me to document? The same Roy Byer, (and Frank Coppin aka Foreigner Frank) now buried less than 12 ft from Jackie.
He lamented his video archiving started just after Jackie's death...in other words he has/had no video footage of Jackie. As I said earlier CBC destroyed/erased all their video tape footage.
In reply to powen001
In reply to analyst-kid
In reply to jacksprat
There is so much that builds us in this region yet many prefer to divide and rule.
In reply to powen001
I have driven past that museum on several occasions. I will visit soon.
In reply to jacksprat
Good post, Sprattie. Trute, sah!
--Æ.
In reply to analyst-kid
In reply to jacksprat
Thanks mate..
I can confess that I did shed a tear walking through that Museum...
I always wanted to meet Bob or at least see BOB...remember exactly where I was when I heard he had died...so when the Museum opened...and I happened to be in Jamaica all those years later...it was a must do...
So imagine my genuine surprise by my hosts...to be informed and educated about Jackie Opels influence on Bob Marley..
It will stay with me for the rest of my days..I am sure.
In reply to JayMor
Sprattie knows a thing or three about Yard music
In reply to Walco
In reply to analyst-kid
In reply to pelon
Bro, dam song brought back memories of the fifty cents dances, at the Liberty and Friendship
In reply to openning
In reply to Walco
I never observe such behaviour, but of course you will hear people talking about him
In reply to openning
In reply to analyst-kid
Are you related to Yarde?
PM me the name, we had a good group during the few years I worked there.
Check your message
In reply to openning
Bunny Best, Gilkes, Williams etc. and his actual personal friends need to get together and document his "life story" on the Bajan side.
Very little published on this influential Bajan performer.
In reply to pelon
His work/ life need to be recognized and documented.
The Spooge should be to Barbados as Reggae is to Jamaica or Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Cumbia to Latin America
In reply to openning
Not just for Spooge, he also contributed (IMHO) to elevating local performances to a very high level of entertainment. Before him all of Bim was one dimensional music catering to the hotel circuit alone. It was Harry Belafonte style fluff.... he kicked open the doors for our music, the day he returned.
Had he been alive today, who knows where his talents would have taken him.
Rest in Peace.
In reply to pelon
I learned a lot from this thread. I used to mek sport with nuff Bajans bout Jackie, but this was good.
In reply to pelon
In reply to openning
Thanks man
In reply to Curtis
Same here- great thread.
In reply to pelon
Someone should arrange for Rihanna to do an album of Opel's music in time for the 50th anniversary of his death.
I'd love to hear her sing Cry Me a River for starters.
In reply to pelon
I lived about a 11/2 miles from Applewhite sugar factory, after closure was the home of WIRL, did Jackie record any of his music there?
In reply to Chrissy
Great idea, but this revives the conversation I had with JayMor and Kid earlier about ownership of Jackie's music. According to JayMor, Coxone probably owns it, at least the recordings done in Jamaica. But that might not be the case for anything recorded in Barbados or Trinidad.
In reply to Walco
True but it can't be that hard to unravel. I'm going to see what I can find out st 56.
In reply to Chrissy
You should get she to sing dis one for de west indies:
"You no good, no good, you ain't good at all no good! Man you hear what I say, you no good!"
In reply to culpepperboy
You win
In reply to Chrissy
In reply to Walco
In reply to cedaw
My feeling exactly.
In reply to Walco
Seeing that you said "owns" I perhaps need to tell you that Clement "Coxsone" Dodd passed on a few years ago.
--Æ.
In reply to Walco
at 56 - the BM Museum
In reply to JayMor
Should’ve said his estate. I actually learned that he was dead while doing research after you mentioned his name a few days ago. His estate apparently has an estimated value of US$8 million
In reply to Chrissy
In reply to Star
I agree that Jackie Opel was not our "best singer" (though this is a toss up between maybe 3 persons), but I think Chrissy meant greatest male artist/entertainer. The man created Spouge !!!
Clarence Thompson great as he was, stood on the shoulders of Jackie Opel.
Clarence Thompson was not original - but I agree he was a great vocalist. Many of "hits" are all spouse beats... his style his music, his vocalization are all heavy influenced by Jackie.
The great vocalist: Clarence Thompson
You, Me and Love
Drinks (sounding like Joseph Niles stuff)
In reply to Star
LOL
In reply to analyst-kid
Correct is right
In reply to analyst-kid
I heard the late Clarence Thompson singing live when he was backed by The Telcos Combo.
He was really good.
In reply to Hants
I could name a plethora of good singers - Jackie was an authentic package - big difference.
In reply to Chrissy
Best Bim pipes
Male
Jackie 'Manface Bishop' Opel
Clarence Thompson
Mark Lorde-I hear a Love Song
Rudy Boyce
Female
Ri Ri
Alison Hinds
Wendy Alleyne.
Sheryl Hackett
In reply to Chrissy
I never saw a live Jackie Opel performance but was told he was a great singer and performer who could dance like James Brown.
Clarence was a stand up soul singer with a very smooth voice.
In reply to che
More Bajan talent to watch. Youtube
Chandelier (Sia Cover) - Ch'An at Mahalia's Corner 2016
In reply to Walco
In reply to pelon
In reply to che
I see you Che...
One has to Add EDWIN YEARWOOD to that list..and there are others but not nearly as easily recognized as that group.
Richard Stoute has a Unique voice...even if not the BEST but its Uniqueness made Richard Stand out as well.
In reply to powen001
Fi real? He was your great uncle.
In reply to powen001
John King rolls up on top five befo Yearwood or Stoute...so me seeit
In reply to Chrissy
Nice ton Chrissy!! Raise your bat, take a bow and kiss the pitch.
I'm still trying to figure out how a thread about Jackie Opel can score a ton on CC
In reply to powen001
In reply to Walco
The Great Jackie Opel - music lovers respect their greats. That said it is you folks who scored di ton.
In reply to Chrissy
Gabby's Emmerton
One of my favorites
John King's How Many More
One from my old school mate. Not a bad cricketer either.
Gabby's Bridgetown
In reply to Walco
Thanks man- love Gabby
So Bunny Wailer will receive Iriefm's Lifetime Achievement Award on Feb 11. The function will be held at Bournemouth Beach in East Kingston (home of the Skatalites).
Bunny's manager just reminded all that the Skatalites were the backbone of the Wailers.
one more thing I would like to mention re Jackie Opel.
IN my life as an entertainer, I started out as a dub chanter being the National Champion of Barbados four times 1983,1985,1989 and 1992.
Jackie Opel is the earliest artiste Ive ever heard singing two songs to the same musical arrangement...something commonplace for a dub artiste chanting nuff songs to one riddim track.
Maybe it was done prior to Jackie in Studio One but Jackie is one of the earliest if it is so....
You Set my Soul on Fire
Im in Love Again
In reply to analyst-kid
Both were at Studio One
In reply to Chrissy
Those two songs were spouge circa late 1960s...the first spouge song was You Got To Pay In 1969.
Now I dont think spouge was played in Studio One but Jackie Opel being the musician he is and as Mark Williams informed me he was back in forth from Jamaica to Barbados...it might very well be possible.
The actual picture of the record is marked Carina Studio which I think is in Trinidad.
In reply to analyst-kid
You're right about the picture.
I defer - would be nice to see all his music documented.
this starts in '63
