I think it is worth noting that Karl Young embarked on a mission which would define his legacy and transform Jamaican culture at an age when most men would have been busy putting the final touches to their retirement plans. Yet Karl’s age was never an issue. He was simply another member of a pioneering band of youth brimming with ideas and unconstrained by convention. Karl was a rebel to the core. He was able to convey his sense of rebellion and irreverence to his charges which contributed in no small measure to the character of what the world would come to know as Reggae Radio-IRIE FM. He was forever young.

He was not only involved with the project at the strategic level. He was willing to get down into trenches to help fashion the execution of the vision. He was the creative force behind a number of exciting jingles which would characterise the IRIE FM sound chain. His calm manner belied an intensely competitive spirit. It was Karl who came up with the jocose reference to RJR and JBC as Reggie and Jebbie in those irreverent jibes voiced by Pinky and Jubby.

The genesis of Pinky and Jubby epitomises the free-flowing nature of the operations which prevailed at the dawn of Reggae Radio. Barbara Lindsay (Jubby) came to the station as an HEART intern and was supposed to have spent only a few weeks at IRIE. She asked if she could stay on after her time was up and I consented. She is still there after twenty years.

Phillipa Scarlett (the original Pinky), the other half of this famous duo, became a part of the IRIE experience by sauntering into my office one day to inform me that she was very knowledgeable about music and needed a job. Phillipa was fresh out of Ferncourt High school totally unmindful of any limitations she might have had. She did possess an exceptional knowledge of music which belied her age and I sent her off immediately to the library to work. Her boundless curiosity and sense of adventure would see her team with Barbara to create that acerbic tandem which would be later heard on countless commercials and jingles.

Bob Clarke would also play a pivotal role in the creation of the revolutionary jingle package. The characterisation of Zekel and his wife is a classic demonstration of the creative and dramatic gifts of Clarke. The creation of the jingles was a frenzied exercise with others like Dennis Howard, Stephen Stewart, Barry Ohare and Gary Saddler throwing in their skills and lot to make the exercise different and exciting. Lloyd Stanbury would also use his links in the industry to source music and jingles. While some of us concentrated on generic jingles for the station Dennis Howard would use his extensive contacts in the music business and his sound knowledge of radio to source drops for specific programmes. Among those who made contributions in this respect were the Fabulous Five and Mikey Bennett. It was controlled chaos.

One of the hallmarks of IRIE FM character was the ease with which decisions were made. The question has been asked repeatedly whether a formal survey had been conducted to determine the all Reggae format. The answer is a resounding no. I went to make a presentation at an advertising agency and it struck me that there was a certain elegance to the all reggae format.

On my return with some reluctance I tossed the idea to Lloyd and Karl who adopted it without much hesitation. Of course they would have to sell it to more sceptical individuals associated with the project, one of whom was vehemently convinced that we needed “a little soca”. Karl politely entertained the dissenting views but was set on his journey. This was the nature of the man.

Once he decided on a position there was no turning back. He would often beat back dissent with a simple turn of the wrist accompanied by the statement: “certain technicality involved”. It was his way of saying “no use wasting your time trying to convince me”.

The process of recruitment was in full flight by the start of 1990. Corrine Stewart, who with her remarkable gifts of organisation, was able to put the sales structure together (under the guidance of the management team) and she was among the first employees of the organisation. She is still with IRIE.

Duval Pearson, the brother of my late wife Brenda, was among those who would be called upon to join the team at the outset. He is still there. He would work in conjunction with an American engineer David Camp to establish the technical framework responsible for the robust transmission system which has distinguished IRIE. Initially we did not want to bring many people into the operations who did not reside in Ocho Rios and its environs as this would incur significant costs. We also wanted to try people who were talented but largely untested as this had tremendous costs implications of which Karl was not unmindful.

This meant that we would have to rely heavily on our knowledge of potential broadcasting talent which existed in the area. A number of them came to mind my cousin Ainsworth Higgins (who Karl would later call Big A); Deon Mattis, who was a neighbour of mine, and Errol Lingo, who was a singer among other things. Incidentally these three aforementioned employees were all in management positions in hotels along the north coast. I was also able to call on Stephen Coburn (Stephen C) and Andrea Williams (who would later turn Green) both of whom had been associated with me through RNE to join me in the venture.

Lloyd Stanbury would introduce such personalities as Dennis Howard and Devon Marshall who had been establishing a name for themselves in Kingston to the project. My friend Lorna (daughter of Hart Richards who married the Bloomingdale heiress) called me one day to inform me that there was a playmaker at Sandals Ocho Rios where she had been the entertainment manager who had an incredible voice and who would be just right for what we were about to do.

I told her to send me a demo tape which she did and I asked her to arrange to have the young lady meet with me. Lorna complied and I met a beautiful 19-year-old girl who attended the interview in the company of her mother. The young lady was Kathy Owen who was afraid of leaving the security of her employment with a well-established company for the uncertain promise of a job with a start-up. “I am going to make you a star,” I asserted with a confidence firmly rooted in hope and inexperience.

Kathy would go on to fulfill my expectations of her not only at IRIE where she distinguished herself as a newscaster and announcer but later to CVM where she was an outstanding anchor.

clyde.mckenzie@gmail.com