PROUD TO BE A BAHAMIAN - PHIL STUBBS (COVER ERSKINE KNOWLES)

PROUD TO BE A BAHAMIAN - PHIL STUBBS (COVER ERSKINE KNOWLES)

Bahamian singer, song writer, entertainer and storyteller Phil Stubbs is from Dumfries, Cat Island, but now resides in Grand Bahama. He is well known throughout The Bahamas.

Peachy Thurston, Bahamian History Enthusiast and Admin for the Facebook group “The Bahamas: Past and Present”, says: “Phil Stubbs is well known for his popular songs that describe the beauty of The Bahamas and mention the people and Bahamian culture. In his lyrics, Stubbs encourages Bahamians to lift their heads, persevere and live together in harmony.”

 Acoustic cover by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Erskine Knowles from The Bahamas.

Research and recording by Erskine's wife Fay, an author, long-time resident of The Bahamas and originally from Scotland.

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AND YOUTUBE.COM/@YOUNGHEARTSFOREVER

 If you like Fay and Erskine's videos, tips would be much appreciated! Here's the link to drop a few dollars! - https://www.paypal.me/youngheartsforever Thank you!

#PhilStubbs

#BahamianEntertainers

#ProudtobeABahamian

#BahamianHistory

#BahamianCulture

#DumfriesCatIsland

#GrandBahama

#PeachyThurston

#BahamianCoverSongs

 

"INDEPENDENCE MORNING" - PRISCILLA ROLLINS 1973

"INDEPENDENCE MORNING" - PRISCILLA ROLLINS 1973

“Independence Morning” is a song celebrating Bahamian Independence, written by famed Bahamian producer and entertainer Tony McKay a.k.a. Exuma The Obeah Man. It was first performed publicly by Bahamian musical icon Priscilla Rollins on July 10th, 1973, when The Bahamas became an independent nation 🇧🇸 The song beautifully captures the enthusiasm of our newly independent nation. 🎶 Priscilla received widespread acclaim for her patriotic performances. 🌟

Affectionately known as the “Bahamian Queen of Soul”, Priscilla Rollins was a Bahamian entertainer and international recording artist.

Born in Nassau, Bahamas, Priscilla got her musical start as a teenager singing with her mother in a gospel group of the late 50s - 60s called the Strachans Coral Group. As a teenager she also honed her skills singing at various talent shows and matinee dances. In the mid to late 60s Priscilla joined producer Cedric Munnings’ group The Mighty Makers. The group gained much national success and some international notoriety. The group performed at almost all of the hotspots of the era such as the Coyaba Room, Central Highway, and a club called Sin! In 1972 Priscilla left the group to pursue a solo career, teaming up with Tony McKay. McKay took her to New York where she recorded her first album on the former Roulette label. (Source: Discogs.com).

Acoustic cover by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Erskine Knowles from The Bahamas.

Research and recording by Erskine's wife Fay, an author, long-time resident of The Bahamas and originally from Scotland.

FEEL FREE TO SHARE!

FOLLOW AT TIKTOK.COM/@YOUNGHEARTSFOREVER AND YOUTUBE.COM/@YOUNGHEARTSFOREVER

If you like Fay and Erskine's videos, tips would be much appreciated! Here's the link to drop a few dollars! - https://www.paypal.me/youngheartsforever Thank you!

#IndependenceMorning

#PriscillaRollins

#BahamasIndependence

#BahamasQueenofSoul

#CedricMunnings

#TheMightyMakers

#CoyabaRoom

#CentralHighway

#TonyMcKay

#ExumaObeahMan

#StrachansCoralGroup

#ErskineKnowles

#BahamianCovers

#BahamianMusicians 

THE INVADERS, THE LISBON CLUB, BAY STREET, NASSAU, BAHAMAS 1965

THE INVADERS, THE LISBON CLUB, BAY STREET, NASSAU 1965

A popular 1965 Bahamian band, The Invaders, at The Lisbon Club, Nassau Bahamas.

Background music: "Nassau Samba", "Uncle Lou", and "The Crow"/"Bullfrog" by George Symonette from back in the 1950's. These songs are all sung here as a calypso medley by Erskine Knowles.

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

His band "The Invaders" played in The Lisbon Club, Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas (it used to be located near where Hoffer's is now) for about six months in 1965. They went on from there to play at parties leading up to Christmas and New Year. Left to right: Lorin Cartwright (singing and shaking maracas), Peter Catalyn [Catalano] (drums) and Erskine Knowles (electric guitar and vocals).

Fay used to sing with them sometimes in The Lisbon Club, which was run by Johnny ("Long John Silver") from Portugal. Sometimes she'd pop across the road and sing in The Purple Onion too. Later Johnny and his Jamaican wife moved to Jamaica.

Erskine had sent this photo to his mother on Long Island, with an inscription, sending her his love. You can still see the faint writing on the photo.

Background music - acoustic cover by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Erskine Knowles from The Bahamas.

Research by Erskine's wife Fay, an author, long time resident of The Bahamas and originally from Scotland.

Adaptation of picture to video and background music added: Fay and Erskine's son Rory Knowles.

If you like Fay and Erskine's videos, tips would be much appreciated! Here's the link to drop a few dollars! - https://www.paypal.me/youngheartsforever Thank you!

"HOW GREAT THOU ART" AUTHOR PAUL BETHEL & MUSICIAN ERSKINE KNOWLES

"HOW GREAT THOU ART" IMPROMPTU MUSICAL GET TOGETHER BAHAMIAN AUTHOR PAUL BETHEL & MUSICIAN/SINGER/SONGWRITER ERSKINE KNOWLES

A good friend of ours, Bahamian author Paul Bethel, stopped by yesterday afternoon and he and Erskine had an impromptu musical get together, singing "How Great Thou Art". They had never sung together before, but Paul sings in his church.

THE BACKGROUND TO THIS BEAUTIFUL HYMN:

Young Swedish Pastor Carl Boberg and some friends were walking home in 1885 to Mönsterås from Kronobäck, Sweden, where they had participated in an afternoon church service. A thundercloud appeared on the horizon and lightning flashed across the sky. Strong winds swept over the meadows and billowing fields of grain.

The thunder pealed in loud claps. Then rain came in cool fresh showers. In a little while the storm was over, and a rainbow appeared. 

When Boberg arrived home, he opened the window and saw the bay of Mönsterås like a mirror before him. From the woods on the other side of the bay, he heard the song of a thrush and the church bells were tolling in the quiet evening. It was this series of sights, sounds, and experiences that inspired his writing of the song "O Store Gud" which became the Christian hymn “How Great Thou Art”.

The English version of the hymn and its title are a loose translation by the English missionary Stuart K. Hine from 1949. The hymn was popularised by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during Billy Graham's crusades.

It was voted the British public's favourite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise. "How Great Thou Art" was ranked second (after "Amazing Grace") on a list of the favourite hymns of all time in a survey by Christianity Today magazine in 2001 and in a nationwide poll by Songs Of Praise in 2019.

(Source: Wikipedia).

Sung here by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Erskine Knowles from The Bahamas and Bahamian author Paul Bethel.

Tips welcome: https://www.paypal.me/youngheartsforever

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Erskine and I have been married 52 years today! I thank God for bringing Erskine Knowles into my life when I was only passing through Nassau on my way around the world. We met a month after I got here and were married the following year!

Before our wedding day Erskine told me as long as we always pulled together and did not pull apart we would make it! Wise words from the young man he was then. We have always borne those words in mind over our many years of more ups than downs!

THE WRITER'S PRAYER MUSIC VIDEO

Erskine playing at Count Basie Square, Freeport, Grand Bahama,
with Little Joe Cartwright and his band

Check out THE WRITER’S PRAYER MUSIC VIDEO now published on Youtube!

Lyrics (originally a poem published in Evergreen magazine) by yours truly. Music, guitar and vocals by Erskine Knowles. Produced by Gavin Knowles/The Element Studio.

Here's the link - THE WRITER'S PRAYER MUSIC VIDEO

SONGS BY ERSKINE KNOWLES!

My husband Erskine is a great guitarist and vocalist (I think I’m permitted to say that!). He started playing guitar at the age of fifteen, but played the kettle drum before that (once he was in a wedding procession on Long Island as a small boy, playing the drums!). He also learned to play the accordion.

When we met in 1965 he was playing in a band called “The Invaders” in the old Lisbon Club on Bay Street, downtown Nassau. See my blog post Bahamian Music is Blowing in the Wind.

Since then he’s jammed with a lot of musicians over the years in The Bahamas and England. He’s played with Jay Mitchell’s band in the British Colonial Hotel, Nassau; “Little Joe Cartwright” in Count Basie Square, Freeport, Grand Bahama; Count Bernadino and his daughter Nita Ellis at Westwinds II, Nassau; musicians in a pub in Exmouth, England; pubs around Exeter, England (with me singing along with him); entertained on the SS Oronsay on the way to England; formed a two man band with our son Gavin called “Roadblock” while we were living in Long Island (with other musicians coming down to join them at gigs around the island); the former Holiday Inn, Paradise Island, with Buddy Rae; and at the former “Buzz” night club and Crazy Johnny’s on East Bay Street, Nassau, with such musicians as the late Berkley Van Byrd.

Here's a short video of Erskine singing and playing Roy Orbison's song "Pretty Woman" at “Crazy Johnny’s”, Nassau, Bahamas (formerly “The Buzz”) in 2009 - "Pretty Woman".

Now he’s writing his own songs. You can hear some of them on soundcloud.com at the following links:

YOUNG HEARTS
Lyrics, music, guitar and vocals by Erskine Knowles
(Based on true events when Erskine first met me!)
© 2015 Erskine Knowles

CLICK HERE FOR YOUNG HEARTS

THE WRITER’S PRAYER
Lyrics by Fay Knowles
Music, guitar and vocals by Erskine Knowles
© 2014 Erskine Knowles

CLICK HERE FOR THE WRITER'S PRAYER

BORN AGAIN
Lyrics, music, guitar and vocals by Erskine Knowles
(Inspired by spiritual events and dreams!)
© 2015 Erskine Knowles

CLICK HERE FOR BORN AGAIN

It’s a great joy being married to a musician!