Copeland Rules Part 2
The continuation of BACKAYARD’s interview with one of the historians of Jamaican music: Mr Copeland Forbes
For that situation with John Holt, I understand he had other people in his ear as well as taking bookings for him. Was that the case?
No, it wasn’t a bookings issue. Mek I tell you something now. I have been handling John from 2004 and Gregory (Isaacs) 2005. I was handling Gregory way before then he came back in the picture and I had the two of dem all carry the two of dem guh Brazil together. It was an experience, but what had happen yuh nuh cause John left my house here two days before going to England. I canceled him off all the shows in the US because of the problem he had. He did an operation and him siddung right inna dah chair deh….. (Points)…. And I seh I not making unnu do no show. But he had some shows in England that him nephew name Tex had booked for him. And it look like him did want to go and do dem. So he came around here cause he knew I had the deposit for that show in Poland but him know I wasn’t going to give him if him not going to England. Because I took that show wid him and Chronixx based on the fact that he was going to be in England. So when I called the nephew in England and seh is he still coming him (Tex) seh yeah man him (John) get him passport and him get him this and him that. And John insisted that he wanted to go so mi couldn’t tell John don’t go. So John went away to England and he went over there to do some shows and then him tek sick. It got worse because when him siddung inna dah chair yah and I never even know he had a bag on him side from the operation because he was hiding it from me. And John come from 9 o’clock inna di morning and never leave yah til 10 o’clock inna di night. When him a guh through that door, after mi finally gi him di money because him nephew seh yes him coming him pick up him ticket he arrives in two days’ time. John reach the door stop and seh “Mr. Forbes, I will always remember you in my prayers. You are always there for me.” Mi look pon him and seh “Bwoy yuh muss seh so yuh a guh weh wid €5,000 (Euro) inna yuh pocket inna cash. Yuh nuh muss seh anything”….. (Everybody Laughs)…… When him reach downstairs and about fi drive out a di parking lot. Him come out of the car again and come up back to me and seh remember I will never forget you in my prayers and mi laugh and seh God guh with you man and him lef. That was the last time mi see him until him come back yah inna coffin. Gregory was the same ting. I went with Gregory to England, mi and him left here to do a show. We were supposed to go to Guadeloupe. Lloydie (Lloyd Parkes) band was supposed to be meeting us in Guadeloupe. After him do a big rock show inna England, bout 70 thousand people. Him get weak, all kinda stuff, mi did haffi call Lloydie fi cancel because Gregory not coming. Lloydie start panic now him haffi try find Marcia (Griffiths), who was available, to substitute. Gregory stayed in England, him was in the hospital and him run out of the hospital. Because at the time he had a small malignant tumor and him never pay it nuh mind and leave the hospital. It expanded, and get worse and he died. So is like the two of dem died in October, 5 days apart. Because one died the 20th of October and one died the 25th of October and the two of dem born in July. One born the 11th and one birthday is today (July 15th). It is the most ironic thing about those two people.
After dealing with Peter Tosh, how did you move on to deal with other groups?
During that time, when I came back to Jamaica in the ’70s. Lloydie jus a form Lloyd Parkes and We the People band and Dean and Bubbla and all those musicians gathered around Joe Gibbs studio every Thursday. That was session day, all musician come round deh, yuh nuh. So yuh buck up musicians, yuh buck up entertainers and so on. Because when we went to England with the Diamonds dem it was Lloydie was on bass, the revolutionary Sly on drums, Ansel Collins, Tony Chin on guitar. Virgin brought us over there for a tour and let me tell you something that was one of the most exciting tour I ever did. For a young group coming up and to sell out the Lyceum ballroom, sell it out. Bob Marley was the only person who had sold out that. Yuh see the next day the headline in the paper in England seh ‘Reggae Robbers invade Lyceum’, because the place was so packed that pickpockets got a nice evening. Next thing I remember, was being put on a rock festival, I never seen so much tomato or raw egg fling inna mi life. Di people dem ling tomato and egg like crazy…. (Everybody Laughs)…… But it was a great experience for us, yuh nuh. You notice from that time you never see Sly Dunbar play pon a riser. You will never see him play pon a riser him play flat pon di ground, so him stay out the way of eggs and tomato…. (Everybody Laughs)…… But from then on a lot of groups come round and start to tour and more tour and more tour and then we went on the first Sunsplash tour in 1985. We had Third World, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Lloyd Parkes Band.
So at that time that was your job?
Yeah man more tours and we start to work with more artistes. I did a lot of the tour managing for many many groups.
You made connections because of the tours you were a part of earlier?
It was easy for me, yuh nuh, because being on the road with the Wailers, Peter Tosh and Third World, for years with Third World, I get connections with all di promoters dem and the important people around the world. So it was easy to tek another group and seh come we heading out and we head out there. We even had the first Heineken Startime tour in Europe, years ago wid U-Roy, Frankie Paul, Gregory Isaacs and one more person. Yuh nuh one thing leads to another and as you go along people see that things are happening so a lot of artiste come around. So you will tek up a lot of artiste here and there, really and truly I have worked with 98% of the artiste dem in different capacity: Road manager, tour manager, manager. So I kinda get to know dem, I remember going out wid Shabba Ranks for the first time. That was such a great experience in the Virgin Islands. I never forget one night, two girls at the front of the stage was jumping up. When di show done dem come and stick wid us. Wi hungry and guh by a restaurant now, fi get some food. When we reach di door of the restaurant, mi see one of di girl guh so, bap and tek off and run back inna di limo. So mi ask Specialist whappen and him jus siddung inna di limo and cross him arm. Dem guh buck up dem boyfriend and di boyfriend dem come draw dem out di limo and gi dem some beating. Nearly kill dem wid beating, fling one over inna a gully, yuh nuh, and kneel down and a thump har. And I remember Shabba di have on him mesh marina and him seh “Bredrin, wah mek yuh a deal wid di woman dem so?” Hear di guy “Shabba no disrespect to di I but fi she want to know who wicked in bed. Try me first not you.” Whap and knock it out cold yuh nuh … (Everybody Laughs)…… And wi stand up deh and a look yuh nuh wah mi mean. Wid all a dem thing deh di more you get to go on the road wid more artiste di more drama yuh see that go along wid it. Because when man come back and inna studio all kinda thing come out.
So how did your promotion career progress from that?
1989, I started to do my own tour now wid a thing called ‘Reggae Superfest’. It was Lloyd Parkes band, Dennis Brown, Freddie McGregor and Lieutenant Stitchie and we did a tour of the United States. After we started touring around England and Europe and it start to grow, yuh nuh. Then it become easy now to put together…… (Snaps fingers)….. Just like that. You have a formula that works, yuh know what I mean so you just apply it.
Photos by Jik Rueben
Video by THE PHVRVOH
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