Gil Bailey, a pioneer of West Indian radio in the tri-state area, celebrates his 50th anniversary in broadcasting tomorrow with a function in Sunny Hill district, St Thomas.

Bailey, who is from the nearby town of Bath, believes it is appropriate to acknowledge his roots in a year when he achieved a significant milestone.

“It’s a get-together for family and friends. I really grew up in Kingston but St Thomas is where it all started,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The all-day event is scheduled to start at 9:00 am.

Known as the Godfather, the jocular Bailey launched The Gil Bailey Show in New York in 1969. He and his wife Pat co-hosted that programme on Caribbean radio stations such as WHBI, WNWK and WPAT, catering to listeners in the tri-state (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) region.

The show played reggae, calypso, soca and gospel. Pat, whom he married in 1969, died in December 2016 at age 77.

On August 11, organisers of the Merritone Family Fun Day recognised Bailey’s contribution to Caribbean broadcasting with a Golden Mic award during its annual event at Heckscher Park in Long Island, New York.

In July, he launched The Gil Bailey Show on YouTube.

— Howard Campbell