Someone reminded me that today is Jackie Opel's birthday'
Bajan Posse
Thu, Aug 27, '26 at 6:35 PM
Chrissy favorite Bajan contributed bigly to ska, rock steady and reggae according to Prof
Fri, Aug 28, '26 at 10:59 AM
@CWW wrote:
Someone reminded me that today is Jackie Opel's birthday'
Kool, he was a great performer.
Fri, Aug 28, '26 at 11:33 AM
CC do.you have any memories of Jackie singing "You gotta Cry" on NUGGETS FOR THE NEEDY? Or am I mixing up Roy Shirley doing a different song? Memories at 4yrs old foggy. HBD to a wonderful Caribbean man.
Sun, Aug 30, '26 at 11:33 AM
@Brerzerk wrote:
CC do.you have any memories of Jackie singing "You gotta Cry" on NUGGETS FOR THE NEEDY? Or am I mixing up Roy Shirley doing a different song? Memories at 4yrs old foggy. HBD to a wonderful Caribbean man.
Have no memory of him appearing on "Nuggets for the Needy", not saying he never appeared. However, "Cry Me a River" was voted Jamaica's song of the year in 1964 so very likely he could have been on the show that year. But. since you mentioned Nuggets for the Needy it gives me the chance to recall something I remember reading in the Gleaner.
The Mighty Sparrow had app-eared one year and they bought him back the following year, but the organizers tried to muzzle him by asking him not to perform certain songs. I guess like "Congo Man" and "Norman', Sparrow's response to the "cultured ones" was to come out and asked the audience if they knew the hymn "Abide with me"
Back to Jackie Opel remember seeing him on JBC TV once. There was a series called "Jamaica Bandstand" in the 60s on Thursday nights on which local bands would appear. Don't remember but maybe he could have been backed up by the Skatalites. It would be a real treasure if tapes from this series is in someone's library and is presented on say You tube for viewing today.
One more Nuggets for the Needy memory, Remember the great Roy Lawrence. the MC, pronouncing the brand name Faberge as "Faburge", not the more French sounding "Faberje". Sad to say but it seems there is no archive of early JBC productions.
Sun, Aug 30, '26 at 12:50 PM
@Castled wrote:
Chrissy favorite Bajan contributed bigly to ska, rock steady and reggae according to Prof
————+
we had a great thread here years ago.
Love him. And Bob loved him too😀
Tue, Sep 1, '26 at 12:50 PM
Back in Barbados he used to appear on a show called Studio Party in the late 60s and all footage has been erased. Is there no footage anywhere with Jackie Opel performing? Wow!
I heard he performed on the Ed Sullivan show with a Jamaican band (Skatalites?) but this is yet to be confirmed.