The Jamaica Observer’s Entertainment Desk continues with the ninth in its Child Month series highlighting some of Jamaica’s young performers who shot to stardom.

IN the late 1990s Serial Kid was a fixture on events such as ‘Pepsi Teen Splash’ and ‘Teens Dance Fever’. After several hit songs, she disappeared from the musical radar.

Ralston Barrett, artiste manager and producer, guided Serial Kid’s career for three years.

“I met her sometime in 1996. I was introduced to her by journalist and photographer Allan Lewis. I asked her to sing but she hesitated at first because I said I thought she was a boy because of the way she was dressed. She was either 15 or 16 at the time. When she opened her mouth and sang a few lines from a Michael Jackson song I knew she was a special talent,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Born Alteen Campbell, Serial Kid attended Mount Alvernia High School and Montego Bay Community College.

Barrett shared the difficulties he experienced while working with the teenaged singjay.

“Well, the public loved her but the industry’s support was hard to achieve because everyone thought I was crazy trying to bus’ a little girl who dressed like a boy all the time. I got a lot of backlash and many so-called industry experts said she couldn’t sing. However, some people gave us their support in the media,” he explained. “Producers such as Computer Paul, King Jammy’s, Jack Scorpio, Calibud and Paul ‘Bankey’ Giscombe also gave us their support. Delroy Pottinger and Michael Reynolds also helped with her development. Delroy Morrison who worked at Dynamic Sounds gave us a lot of help too,” said Barrett.

Serial Kid’s hit songs included Hot Gal Anthem, One Man, Little Shotta, a cover of Brandy’s Sittin on Top of The World, Ti Amo (made popular by Laura Branigan) and True Love (made popular by White Mice).

In addition to teen events, Serial Kid made her mark on shows at Mirage Nightclub and Cactus Nightclub, Sting 1998 and Reggae Sumfest 1999.

“The high point of her career was her appearance at Reggae Sumfest in 1999 where she delivered what was arguably the performance of the night, coming on stage after Zebra who was red-hot at the time. Everyone thought I was crazy at first to have scheduled her to perform after him but I knew my artiste and I believed in her and I knew she could do it — and she was just amazing that night,” Barrett recalled.

Serial Kid left the music business in 1999 and migrated to the United States. Barrett believes she handled her time in the spotlight well.

“When we started working together she was attending Mount Alvernia High School and, after passing her exams, she went on to attend Montego Bay Community College. She did all of that while performing all over Jamaica, parts of the United States and the Caribbean,” he said. “She was working very hard in the studios, especially between 1998 and 1999, because by that time people began to realise that she was becoming a force to [be reckon[ed] with. Despite becoming very popular in a very short time, she was always calm, respectful and humble.”