TRIBUTE TO THE LATE PEANUTS TAYLOR BY ERSKINE & FAY KNOWLES

TRIBUTE TO THE LATE PEANUTS TAYLOR BY ERSKINE & FAY KNOWLES - "CALYPSO ISLAND"

Legendary Bahamian entertainer and congo drummer, the late John Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor sang and recorded "Calypso Island", written by Alice Simms, in 1960. A cover of "Calypso Island" is now sung here by Bahamian guitarist/vocalist Erskine Knowles backed up by his wife Fay, in memory of Peanuts.

Erskine remembers hearing Peanuts' recording of the song often being played on the radio in the sixties and seventies.

Peanuts passed away December 16th, 2024, at the age of eighty-nine. His musical achievements and honours are endless. He travelled throughout the world, promoting The Bahamas with his amazing drum beat. In fact, Peanuts once owned a very popular night club in Nassau called The Drum Beat, as well as other clubs.

When John Berkley Taylor was only four years old, he told internationally renowned dancer and entertainer Paul Meeres at The Chez Paul Meeres Club, Nassau, that he could sing and dance better than him. Paul Meeres disputed this and told the young boy that he was nothing but a peanut! That was how John Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor got his nickname. The child showed Paul Meeres how he could sing and dance and that was the start of Peanuts' career.

Back in the fifties, Erskine used to stop at the Carlton House Hotel, East Street, opposite Batelco (now BTC) on his way home from his job on Bay Street and listen to Peanuts Taylor (drums), George Symonette (piano and vocals), and Harold McNair (flute).