BY BRIAN BONITTO
Associate Editor —
Auto & Entertainment
THOUGH the name Vere Johns may not resonate in music circles today, his contribution to Jamaica’s music history is immeasurable.
Through his talent concert, Vere Johns Opportunity Hour and Opportunity Knocks, held at the Ambassador Theatre in Trench Town, he provided an avenue for fledgling acts to receive much-needed exposure.
“No money in the world can pay that man for what he has done for Jamaican music. He’s responsible for cradling Jamaican music. He was the one that break [in] many of our music’s stalwart,” musicologist Kingsley Goodison told Jamaica Observer.
“Mr Vere Johns should have gotten the highest national honor; the government should find some way to honor him; some monument or cultural building should be named after him.”
Johns’ concert series — which he single-handedly organized and financed — helped launch the careers of many of Jamaica’s top-flight acts, including Bunny and Skully, Millie Small, The Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, John Holt, Bob Andy, Desmond Dekker, Jackie Edwards, Dobby Dobson, Boris Gardiner, Alton Ellis, Hortense Ellis, Lloyd Charmers, the Blues Busters, Derrick Morgan, Lascelles Perkins, Higgs and Wilson, Laurel Aitken, Jimmy Tucker, Girl Satchmo, Roy Richards, Charlie Organaire, and Rico Rodriguez.
According to Goodison, in addition to the Ambassador Theatre, several other Corporate Area cinemas played host to the series. These included Majestic, Carib and Odeon.
“People don’t know his contribution to Jamaican music. He did a great work for Jamaican entertainment. Many Jamaican musical stalwarts, is him put them on the map,” said Goodison, who is also conceptualizer of the annual awards show Tribute to the Greats.
Born Vere Everette Johns in Mandeville in November, 1893, Johns was a journalist, radio personality and actor.
The Vere Johns Opportunity Hour and Opportunity Knocks talent concert started in the 1950s and ended a decade later. The Vere Johns Award was part of singer/producer Clancy Eccles’ annual awards show.
As an actor, Johns played a role in the 1955 flick Man Fish, which also featured Eric Coverly (husband of folklorist Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett). He was also cast in the 26-minute documentary, It Can Happen To You, a year later.
Johns died in 1966 at age 72. In 2008, he was posthumously inducted into the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artists and Affiliates Hall of Fame.
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