BELOVED MUSICIAN WINSTON “BO PEE” BOWEN, GIVEN BEFITTING THANKSGIVING SERVICE!

Captions: Luciano and Bridgett Anderson at the April 27 thanksgiving service for guitarist Winston ‘Bo Pee’ Bowen, in Kingston, Jamaica.

George ‘Dusty’ Miller and Donald Dennis of the Firehouse Crew, arrive for the April 27 thanksgiving service for guitarist Winston ‘Bo Pee’ Bowen, in Kingston, Jamaica.

The New Life Assembly of God Church in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, overflowed with respect for Winston ‘Bo Pee’ Bowen on April 27. His family and colleagues from the music industry turned out in numbers to pay respect to the veteran guitarist who died from a heart attack on March 26 at age 62.

“It was a service befitting a beautiful human being and a great musician,” said artist manager Bridgett Anderson. “The turnout from the music fraternity was overwhelming.”

There were musical tributes from Luciano, Nadine Sutherland, Chico Chin and Dean Fraser, all of whom Bowen worked with during his 45-year career. Many of the musicians he recorded and toured with including singer and former president of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians, Desmond Young, singer/bass player Boris Gardiner, guitarists Dwight Pinkney, Earl “Chinna” Smith and Gibby Morrison, keyboardists Robbie Lyn and Christopher Birch, bass players Lloyd Parks, Flabba Holt, Donald Dennis and Delroy “Worm Bass” Nevin, drummers Sly Dunbar, George Miller and Kush McAnuff, horn players David Madden, Everol Wray and Everald Gayle, were among the attendees.

From the Maxfield Avenue area of Kingston, Bowen started his recording career at Channel One during the mid-1970’s. At the time, that studio was the hottest facility of its kind in Jamaica; one of the first songs he played on was Ballistic Affair by Leroy Smart.

He moved to the rival Joe Gibbs studio in the late 1970’s where he became a member of The Professionals, the producer’s house band. There, Bowen played on a number of hit songs by Dennis Brown, Culture and George Nooks.

Bowen later recorded and toured with the 809 Band and Firehouse Crew. In recent years, he toured with U Roy and the Inna De Yard Band.

Winston ‘Bo Pee’ Bowen is survived by his wife, six children and eight grandchildren.