AS the 20th anniversary of Garnet Silk’s death approaches, his brother Floyd Smith braces himself for a day that revives painful memories.
Known in music circles as Aaron Silk, he told Splash this week that because Silk was such a strong force in his life, getting over the loss is tough, even two decades later.
“Everytime yuh think ’bout how Garnet trod on, is like it jus’ happen. Yuh know when an incident like dat happen, yuh think time will heal the wounds. Fi some reason, dis one don’t feel dat way,” he said.
Garnet Silk and his mother died in a fire at her home in Hatfield district, Manchester, on December 9, 1994. They perished in the one-bedroom house in which the singer was raised.
Silk (given name Garnet Smith) was only 28 years-old, three years older than Aaron.
Aaron had seen his brother two days before his tragic death. He (Aaron) went to his St Andrew home hours after a triumphant performance alongside singer Richie Stephens at the Mirage nightclub.
“Wi have a good talk yuh nuh. Him tell mi, ‘Yuh fi stop trim an’ shave ’cause yuh a Rasta youth. Yuh a Natty!’,” Aaron recalled.
“Garnet neva sey dat to mi before…Him neva force anything on mi.”
Garnet and Floyd Smith were sons of Bolas Smith, a respected mechanic in Manchester who fathered over 40 children. Though they had different mothers and grew up in separate homes, Aaron said they always had a close bond.
“Me an’ him used to thief out an’ go dance wid (deejays) Tony Rebel an’ Kulcha Knox. Wi used to get beaten but Garnet neva stop, him did persistent,” he recalled.
After five years of hanging around sound systems and recording studios as deejay Little Bimbo, that persistence paid off for Garnet Smith when he became singer Garnet Silk. In late 1991, he kicked off what would be a string of hit songs with I Can See Clearly Now, produced by Courtney Cole.
Aaron said he was there every step of the way as his sibling achieved meteoric stardom. The limelight, he stressed, did not change him.
“Bwoy, him was big into him faith yuh nuh, love His Majesty (Emperor Haile Selassie I) an’ Rasta. Garnet used to observe him Sabbath, love him reasoning an’ read him Bible…Very spiritual,” Aaron noted.
Aaron was at home in Portmore, St Catherine, when a labourer at a nearby construction site knocked on his window early December 10, 1994 and gave him the news of Silk’s death. It is still difficult to deal with 20 years on.
Shortly after Silk’s funeral, Aaron launched his career with Show I The Way, a song he co-wrote with Garnet. He has one album to his credit, 2000’s Bless I Oh Jah.
Whenever he performs, Aaron Silk salutes the brother who inspired him and many others.
“Mi neva been on a stage an’ don’t sing a Garnet, nuh matter how small the show is. Mi haffi sing at least three Garnet,” he said.
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