There is an old saying that age is just a number and reggae singer-musician Neville George Copper, aka ‘Eminent’, is determined to prove that saying to be true.

The 63-year-old singer, who hails from the Tel-Aviv area in Kingston, has long aspired to become a singing star. He began his foray into the music arena at age 13, when he performed on the Vere John’s Opportunity Knocks Talent Show on RJR in 1961.

“Entering and winning the Vere John’s contest was a great experience for me. From then on, I decided music would be my career choice,” he said.

Encouraged by his experience in the Vere John’s talent contest, he went on to learn to play the guitar. By the age of 17, Eminent began playing in a band called the Volcanos at the once-famous Tit For Tat nightclub on Red Hills Road. After leaving the Volcanos in 1969, he joined the Sound Dimension Band, which at the time was the main studio band at the legendary Studio One.

“After I entered the Vere John’s contest, I decided to learn to play an instrument and put down singing for a while. I learned to play the guitar and after four years of training, I got my first chance to play with a band at the Tit For Tat Club. After that, I was at Sir Coxson’s Studio One for a while playing with the likes of the great Jackie Mittoo, Robbie Lyn, Leroy Sibbles and Vin Gordon. Those were some good times for me as a youngster in the music,” he said.

Frustration sets in

By 1971, Eminent moved on from Studio One to work with another legendary Jamaican producer, Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee. This time, he worked with Bobby Aithken and the Carib Beats Band. After his stint with the Carib Beats Band, he decided to quit music totally and focused on finding other means of employment.

“After a while, I got frustrated, not just with the music but also with the state of affairs in the country because during the early ’70s, the garrison vibes was just beginning to take root and depending on where you lived, you just couldn’t move around like one time. The place was getting hostile and to me, the whole music thing just didn’t seem so nice again. Plus, I had to find a way to make a better living, so I eventually got a job as a security guard.

Despite all that he was going through, Eminent did not give up his dreams of being a singer, so during his spare time he worked on sharpening his song-writing skills.

“I wrote a lot of songs in my spare time, although I was no longer a part of the music biz and by 1983, I went to Channel One and did my first set of songs as a vocalist. However, those songs were never released.”

That experience left a bitter taste in his mouth and Eminent basically gave up on the music business once again. But for some reason, he always kept on writing as he held out hope that one day he would make his mark as a singer.

Return to his dream

It wasn’t until 2006 when, by chance, he met a budding young producer by the name of Joel Lindsay, aka ‘Juju’, of Juju Music Productions that he released his first single, Pray Every Day, on Lindsay’s Step Up Music imprint. This was quickly followed by a number of other singles.

Eminent is currently promoting a brand new single titled Mr Wicked Manfor Juju Music. The song, which is accompanied by a music video, has been enjoying good rotation both locally and abroad since its release over a month ago.

When asked what he expects from his current musical exploits, he responded by saying: “They say the sky is the limit, so I have great expectations, but most of all, I hope my message reaches the people and brings them joy and happiness. If that happens, it will bring me much joy also. Music for me now at this stage in life is not about making money, it’s about fulfilling a dream.”