Veteran singer, songwriter, and producer Tommy Cowan was the recipient of the Victor Rhone Ethics Award at the recently held Rotary Club of New Kingston Vocational Service awards ceremony.

The event was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Friday, January 26.

According to Cowan, the honour cements his beliefs in continuing to do impactful work.

“The word of God is true, ‘don’t grow weary while doing good for in due season you will reap a rich reward if you faint not’,” he said, quoting a Bible verse from the book of Galatians.

“I did not expect this recognition as I don’t really work to get honour, rewards or recognition.  I do my work with a simple belief which is, if you do good, you will get a blessing and if you do bad you will get beaten. It’s your choice,” he told Observer Online.

The Victor Rhone Ethics Award is awarded by the Rotary Club of New Kingston (RCNK) to an individual who has displayed high ethical standards in the pursuit of his or her vocation.

Formerly known as the Ethics Award when it was first awarded in the Rotary year 2014/15, the inaugural Victor Rhone Ethics Award is named in memory of Charter Member and Past President of the Rotary Club of New Kingston, Victor Hugo Rhone.

The other people who were honoured at the ceremony include Sandra Samuels [Rose-Marie Gibbs Transformational Woman awardee], Donovan Watkis [Gary Grant Vocational Rotarian awardee], and Desi Jones [Gary Grant Vocational Non-Rotarian awardee]

Cowan further said his decades of success is owed to the sheer passion that he possesses for all that he has done.

“The fact that this is what God has put me here to do, it’s ‘my work’.  In other words, you can fire me from my job but you cannot fire me from ‘my work’, which is what I am here to do,” Cowan explained.

The impresario further noted that he remains anchored in his faith as he goes about executing his career to the best of his God-given abilities.

“Two of the greatest days in one’s life are the day they were born and the day they know why they were born,” he said.

“It amounts to purpose—why do I exist? A sense of personal purpose because of vision which leads to hope. I have a passion for knowing that music can impact the world in becoming a better place, creating a preferred future; music is mentioned in the Bible 1,028 times to be exact. God must consider music to be very important to do this.  Psalm 100:26 says ‘Come before His presence with singing.’  God is implying that He has a preference in how he is approached—through praise and worship,” Cowan added.

He revealed that he is currently working on three albums for his wife, gospel singer Carlene Davis-Cowan, his daughter Sara Cowan-Conner and saxophonist Verlando Small; as well as the production of Best Dressed Chicken ‘Fun In The Son’.  Cowan is encouraging young musicians who admire him to stay true to themselves and to rely on God for guidance.

“I learnt as life goes on my calling to music. First, it may have been glamour; thinking about the bright light and maybe fame, but then there came the purpose of contribution to humanity and the upliftment of people.  Some came through the music I sang such as Peace & Love, Things You Say You Love; songs I have written for my wife, Carlene – This Island Needs Jesus [and] Santa Claus Do You Ever Come To the Ghetto, as well as various artistes,” he said.

“I’ve produced songs and I’ve promoted live shows such as ‘Fun In The Son’… [it’s] simple: God is the creator of all things and He intends for you to be a light in a dark place. You cannot allow the world to dictate the trend of music, but we must offer music that will uplift the mind and the spiritual man, making this world a better place through the creative power of God within us,” Cowan added.