In memory of Jackie Opel

Yesterday marked the 48th anniversary of the death of renowned Barbadian spouge singer, Dalton Sinclair Bishop, better known to all as “Jackie Opel”.

He was remembered by members of the entertainment fraternity who knew him best during the re-dedication of his grave at Westbury cemetery.

“His death came so suddenly and tragically, robbing Barbados of a true and natural talent,” Ken Jones, founding member of The Troubadours, said of the entertainer, who was killed in a car crash on Bay Street, St. Michael.

“I first met Jackie at the Caribbean Pepperpot… I was totally mesmerised by the stature of the man, his energy, the range of his vocal capacity, of which I have never heard again. I had to meet Jackie to confirm that he was a real man – he was too good to be true.”

Former politician, promoter and radio personality, Mark Williams, described his late friend as the greatest entertainer the Caribbean has ever produced.

“He was a dancer, singer – he was everything. He was a musician; Jackie played drums, saxophone – Jackie was great,” he expressed.

Veteran singer, Richard Stoute, recalled that Jackie Opel had the honour of being named “Entertainer of the Year” in Jamaica on three occasions, beating greats like Bob Marley.

“In Bob Marley’s autobiography, he said that Jackie Opel was his greatest influence… Jackie Opel’s role has been a phenomenal one; we have to accept that Spouge must play a pivotal role in our culture.”

The re-dedication ceremony was made possible by Clyde B. Jones Funeral Home and the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers Inc. (COSCAP).

According to Erica Smith, CEO of COSCAP, Jackie Opel remains as popular, as revered and as relevant as ever.

She noted that although he did covers, he always impressed his own stamp.

“He did not try to imitate. His work demonstrates how important originality was for him,” she stressed.

“In spite of his growing local popularity, we saw him depart initially for Trinidad and Tobago and then to Jamaica where music as the voice of the people and the drive to create their own unique sounds were unprecedented elsewhere in the region.

“He returned to Barbados where he created Spouge, which was hugely popular and sealed his reputation locally, winning him a lifetime of fans. It is in the creation of Spouge that I think we learn about Jackie Opel and the answer to his endurance. In the search for identity, defining and expressing Barbadian-ness, he was successful in his quest through the creation of this new genre,” Smith said. (TL)