It was the 5th of August of 1985, I was stabbed on Villa Beach, and the word had spread that Allan Palmer is dead! Fortunately, I was not dead, but I was a penitent at the male surgical ward after having major surgery to repair the damage that the twelve-inch-long blade had done to my stomach. One night while I was up unable to sleep; as a result, of the severity of the pain I was feeling; I saw my police friend and roller skate buddy Sean from Block 2000 on the ward dressed in police uniform. Sean was on prisoner’s guard duty at the male surgical ward at the Kingston General Hospital, which is today known as the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
On seeing Sean, I wanted to get his attention, but it was too painful and to speak even with my normal voice. To shout would result in tremendous pain and therefore it was unthinkable. In this state, I had to whisper to communicate orally with hospital staff, family, friends and acquaintance that visited me. Sean was one of those people who had also heard that I had died. Sean was at the Nurses’ Station chatting with the staff nurse at the desk; he was trying to pass the time. He looked down at the row of beds of people from the nurses’ station. Sean saw me lying on the bed next to the window that overlooked the cemetery. I could have sworn; my friend the police officer had seen a Ghost. He immediately ended the conversation, he was involved in, with the on duty nurse and went back to his post to supervise his prisoner.
About 20 minutes later, Sean reemerged to the nurse’s desk, this time, not to have a conversation; but to ensure his eyes were not playing tricks on him. In other words, to make sure, he was not hallucinating. Sean looked in the direction where I was lying in bed, to see if the pigment of his imagination had left. At lease now he can say he saw the Ghost of Allan Palmer, in the hospital, which would have marked the beginning of a new legend: “the Ghost of Allan Palmer that haunts the Hospital he can be seen on the Male Surgical Ward”. The only problem with that legend was: I was not dead
Sean looked, in my directions and he could not believe his eyes; the dead man was still there. The man who was declared dead or his ghost is haunting the hospital. Sean had to verify that he was not seeing things. It was then he checked, with the nurse who confirmed my presences. After he confirmed that he was not seeing things; Sean quickly made his way to where I was still awake, observed the whorled scenario played out. It is then he says Palmer; I thought I saw a Ghost; for everyone say you are dead.
After I had recuperated from my injuries and the surgical repair of the injuries, I returned to church, and my writing had taken on a new dimension. I was now writing poem. I wrote the whole Bible story of Daniel in the form of a rhyme. I knew this was the hands of Yah, because I had never done this before, and the ease with which, I did the story; it could not have been anyone or anything but the words of the creator that was placed in my head.
Now, I had to figure out, why Yah gave this new gift to me. The art of Rap music has recently transition to mainstream, and was taking over the world. I realized the rap rhythm matched perfectly, with my rhymes. Now, where was a young man, in the small Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, going to find an audience for Rap music, not just any type of Rap music; but Gospel Rap?
By this time, I had formed a Gospel Rap group; Allan P and the Jewels; which was made up of the following people. There was Nelcia “Ali” Primus: a family friend and a third form student of the Girls High School. There was Comsie Joyette: a Student Nurse; and a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church that hail from the Southern Grenadines Island of Union. And there were Desiree Murphy: a fifth form Student of the Girls High school, and also a member of the Kingstown Seventh Day Adventist church. Although Desiree was accepted in the big shot click, in the church; she did not fit into that group; even though Desiree was a very intelligent young woman, she was also a rootsy young lady and refused to fit into the mold she was asked to fit into.
It was not long that the Gospel Rap Group: Allan P and the Jewels found its way onto and was headlining the Caribbean Biggest Gospel shows: Gospel Spectacular; which was hosted by The Emerald Gospel Band. The lead vocalist of the Emerald Gospel band was Gideon Soleyn, Gideon, Desiree, Comsie and I attend the same church, The Kingstown Seventh Day Adventist Church. However our performance in the big concert had nothing to do with Gideon. Unfortunately, Gideon was under a lot of pressure from the SDA Church leadership for being associated with this gospel music group, especially one that was made up of Sunday churches. However, Gideon held his ground.
In the view of the church leadership, while Gideon’s association with Emerald Gospel Band was an associated with the world; on the other hand Desiree, Comsie and I, was accused of bringing the world into the church. I learnt this at the meeting with the eldership of the church held with me. At lease Gideon, got a little slack, for now Gideon Soleyn and his so-called unholy alliance was no longer the negative central focus of the Church leadership. The Church leaders knew I was the leader and central person of the group therefore they targeted me for the meeting; I stood up to the church leadership and I let them know I will not comply with their wishes. When reasoning with me did not work, they went to work on Desiree and Comsie; at lease, they were much younger than I was and more pliable to the pressures and would have broken easily under the pressure; and abandon me; at lease so they though.
We had performed as a guest artist at many Gospel concerts, in clouding Gospel Spectacular for three years. We had cemented our-self as one of the leading Gospel acts on the Island. Now we had to, take it to the next level. Now we had to hold our own concert. I could not depend on the others members of the group to play an active role in the planning and financing this ambitious venture, after all they were only student, and had to focus on their schooling. I went ahead and put everything in place; however, I make them feel like a big part of the entire process. The concert was organized and the venue of the concert was to be at the Peace Memorial Hall. Yvonne Soleyn helped with all of the planning, the writing of invite letter to the performers, she did the program and she also did the tickets.
Organizing a concert seems to send the leadership of the Kingstown S.D.A church totally insane. I had the guarantee best participation of my cast including some members of the Seventh Day Adventist Community. I anticipated retaliation from the Kingstown SDA church, so my crew and I visited several SDA church we did a modify presentations at the church to promote the concert. Some of the members of the smaller churches purchased tickers. Small churches like the Clay Valley S.D.A church, with the help of Tilon Cupid and Pearlene Weeks, threw their whole support behind the program and purchased ticket. The S.D.A church that surprised me the most was the Richland Park SDA church. A rural but large mainstream SDA church, allowed us in to their church to showcased what the production was all about and quite a number of them purchased tickets.
On the evening of the show, after the end of the Saturday evening youth program, Glenroy Providence, Jeremiah "Jerry" Cuffy, Rosemary "Rosie" Smart now Richardson, made our way to the Peace Memorial Hall, to get things ready. The other members of the group were at home getting ready to for their performance. Even though, we were short hand, we manage to get the place ready before Show Time. It was my first concert and there were many things I over looked. I began to see; how greatly short staff I was.
Immediately after the evening program at church, the leadership of the Kingstown Seventh Day Church called a meeting with the young people of the church, and told them not to support the concert, they told the youths all of the reason why, they should not support my program. They use the bible; the quoted text and they lay down the law.
My small crew was over work, everyone had their assignment, and yet there were many official roles to play to make matters worse, the master of ceremony was a no show. The Clay Valley folks were the first to show up, then the Richland Park, the hall was not full but it had already passed the shameful turnout mark. I was very happy about that, I can now boast attendance was good and people were still coming. Some of the people who made up the audience were spies from the Kingstown S.D.A church, who came in order to report to the elder-ship of the church.
Now I had an expecting crowd, but seriously short staff, I was fresh out of a Master of Ceremony, stage managers etc. there was only one solution, I must swallow my pride and privately asked some of the members of the audience to fill these roles. I was in the process of going to solicit help from selected members of the audience, when I saw a flood of familiar faces, they paid to enter the show. it was All the teenagers from the Kingstown S.D.A Church; a moment ago they were all in a meeting with the elder-ship of the Kingstown S.D.A church. however defiantly the showed up and paid their way into the show.
I had a good relationship with each of them, if they did not support the event I would have understood; for the pressure that was placed on them was immense. As a result, they were upset with the way, the group was treated and wanted to show their support and send a message back to the church leadership. Once in the show, they came to me, Palmer, they said in eager defiance; what can we do to help. They were willing to do anything, help at the door, sell in the bar at the intermission, usher people to their seats; anything! They wanted to be a part of this show in any way possible.
I have never been so relieved in my life, these were all secondary school students, super intelligent and talented young people; I was about to give them the biggest responsibility of their life so far. I had no doubt, these youth will rise to the challenge. Knowing their strength, I put them where they were comfortable.
Calling each person by his or her names, I said you and you are going to be the Masters of ceremony; I then explained what I expected of them. I saw anticipation but I reassured them that they were more than up to the job; my reassurance was all the youth needed. I continued; you and you; you are the stage managers, I also explained what was expected of them in their defined roles, you and you, find every act on the program get a short history of the act and get it to the MC just before the act take the stage. I assigned each youth to a significant production role and they all kill their role. The show went off without one hitch.
I was backstage and I give each performer a tap on the back, I thank them for coming and let them know, I knew what you could do; now it is time to show the audience what you can really do. Every performer killed it. In most case, they rendered their best performance on that night. The auditorium was full; anywhere two shoes could hold there were people standing there. The concert was not a financial success, but it was a success for our group. Through it all we had many victories, overcame many odds, I create an avenue for young people to display their musical talent, and put a group of willing teenagers in serious roles they were insecure about going in; but accepted the challenge, rose to the occasion and killed it. What more can anyone asked for?
Douglas Defreitas, a good and understanding man provided the sound for this concert. as usual he provided outstanding work. Unfortunately Dougie was paid some 12 + years after he had work on the concert. This was done on my first return trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines from Bermuda in November of 2004.
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