TRINIDAD REMEMBERS
KING FIGHTER
By Angela Fox
Cana
Trinidad Guardian
January 1, 2000
Page 18
A
number of personalities in Trinidad and Tobago, where the Guyana-born Wilson
developed his composing and singing career, fondly reminisced about him
following his death two weeks ago in a Grenada hospital, reportedly from a
stroke.
Often
referred to as the "Pyjama Suit Man" after one of his calypsoes, King
Fighter was known for his wit and humour.
He
would dramatically snatch off his ever-present hat, showing his bald head,
before bursting into "Come Leh We Go (Sukie)" - another favourite
calypso piece.
His
"People Will Talk" also remains among the most requested vintage
calypsoes.
King
Fighter was ranked among calypso's legends, a title not often bestowed upon a
non-Trinidadian, especially at a time when Sparrow and Melody ruled the calypso
world tightly.
King
Fighter goes back, a survivor of calypso wars and hard times in-between calypso
seasons, to champion the cause of good lyrics and respectable delivery. Singing for over 30 years, King Fighter
performed with some of the most respected bards in the business, breaking
calypso barriers.
Fellow
calypsonian and friend Fred Mitchell (Composer) remembered King Fighter as an
extremely jovial person who was always mentally alert.
"Nobody
could pass anything by him, there was never a topic or conversation that he
couldn't contribute."
Composer,
who shared several stages with Fighter, says he met the bard in the late 50s
and the two remained friends.
"He
had a very melodic voice. (He was) a
very nice person to be around; people would talk to him just to hear his
Guyanese accent and he would oblige."
Composer,
a past president of Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO), said
that many are not aware that King Fighter could claim one of the greatest
calypso classics of the 20th century - "People Will Talk."
"It's
unfortunate that his passing has gone unnoticed," said Composer, noting
that when King Fighter became ill, he didn't share this with everyone, since he
wanted no special treatment.
Without
exception, everyone who knew Fighter agreed he was a very pleasant and witty
individual.
Radio
broadcaster and producer/presenter of a local radio programme, Vintage Calypso,
Winston Maynard, said Fighter's genre was calypso wit.
"He
was not handsome, he was bald and he loved to poke fun at himself."
Maynard
said calypso fans used to look forward to his coming from Guyana for the
calypso season.
He
was one of a battery of Caribbean calypsonians - including Lord Coffee and Lord
Canary - who made the annual pilgrimage during the build-up to Carnival.
A
calypso connoisseur, Maynard says the closest King Fighter came to a Road
March win was with "Come Leh We Go Sukie."
After
his success, Fighter got married and took a sabbatical.
However,
when he tried to return in the 90s he found that there was no longer a place
for him in local calypso tents, with the traditional calypso music making an
evolutionary change with new sounds.
Local
entertainer and calypso collector Dennis "Sprangalang" Hall remembers
King Fighter as a "gentle soul", and not a "rowdy fellow."
Hall
said, "He had a nice voice and made nice tunes. He was a kind of tunesmith, one who understood the mix of calypso
and East Indian music."
Always
a favourite when it came to going down memory lane, King Fighter was given his
big calypso break by Syl Taylor to sing at the Original Young Brigade (OYB),
one of the top-ranking calypso tents.
One
of the ultimate nostalgia men, King Fighter went on to become an integral part
of historic "The Glamour Boys" Tour which successfully played in
Montreal, Boston, Baltimore and New York.
Pelham
Goddard, top calypso arranger and musician, who worked on one of the last
recordings with King Fighter, also recalls the "gentleness" and
simplicity of the calypsonian.
"I
first met Fighter through Art De Coteau in the 70s while we were working in the
recording studio and later when we were putting down the tracks for Living
Legends of Calypso - The Glamour Boys Again. He was a nice and humble person and a very melodic singer.
"Before
that, I provided musical back-up for him at a show in St Thomas."
Goddard
says the calypsonian was not one for extravagance and when asked to wear a suit
and tie for the filming of the CD insert, King Fighter turned up in what he
called his "Caribbean bacchanal shirt."
"He
was a true, true calypsonian."
King
Fighter's legacy in his music will live on a CD salute to the "golden
years of calypso."
Former
Grenada Calypso Monarch Elwin ("Black Wizard") McQuilkin, who
performed in Trinidad for a number of years alongside Fighter, remembered him
best this way.
"He
like(d) to take off his hat while performing and show his bald head and the
crowd would roar," McQuilkin recalled.
"He
was a very good performer on stage and a very witty calypsonian. He was not well rewarded as a calypsonian,
though," Wizard told Cana.
King
Fighter's last public performance was as a guest artiste during the Grenada
National Song Festival in October, when he received an award for his
contribution to the development of regional calypso.