The first note that was struck, they just went went Wow.

And natural talent.

Your bond with that?

Oh, you the do you like a William Collins play for us?

We like to make anything you think we do it And then the king of the road.

I mean does he king of the road does not give me to my favorite movie.

Energetic.

Just maybe Nick Friday.

We hadn't done so I don't know how we get them, how to write them Friday.

Very competitive.

He's like, he invented the world of competitiveness for me.

He was a father.

Well, father's a great father, good man, good friend, everything.

He did what?

He came here to do and he did it well.

So.

Mr. Jackman.

So we'll all excited to be putting food on his back, right?

Yeah.

So, so, so, so this video you what makes a superstar?

Is it great talent, tremendous showmanship or maybe it's the ability to excite the crowd with one word yet silence a mob with a single gesture, whatever it is, this man certainly had it all.

But who was this great talent known to so many as Nick Daddy Friday?

And how was he able to transform the way calypso music is played in the Caribbean region at a very early age?

Trevor Nicholas Friday showed an interest in music.

Born December 28th, 1961, in Antigua Friday, along with his mother, sister and brothers, moved to Tortola when he was just seven.

It was there that some family members on Friday himself would agree that he found music and used it as an outlet to express himself.

When he lived with my great aunt.

In total, it was very strict Seventh Day Adventist.

I understand they would have know like late Saturday afternoon or something when all the kids were around.

She'd have them singing and from what I understand, Nick would always, when it was his turn, just he was always very quiet and sort of almost, you know, withdrawn, kind of not withdrawn in a negative sound, very quiet into himself.

And when the opportunity to sing came, he just totally came out of his being and just was a whole different person.

So they will say that that that's pretty much where he got his start in his stage presence because he had to perform and outshine the children with my aunt and totally no, we attended church and his church and I love singing.

I joined the choir and ever since that tender age of about six or seven years old, I always knew I wanted to be a singer.

But Friday, stay in Tortola was short, lived once again Friday, and his family found themselves on the move.

This time they headed west to Saint Thomas.

The move to the Virgin Islands allowed Friday his mother, Lilian Friday, to pursue a nursing career.

It also fostered young Nicholas's love of music and provided a platform on which he would ultimately set the standard for calypso in the territory.

As far as I know, he used to have a trombone at home and he used to play around with it.

And then at school he started singing.

His brother says that he used to sing at Calypso special around the house all the time, and he sounded good.

So we thought of entering him in a competition that miserably Friday entered the competition with one Golden Mine to win.

However, the Nazareth event was no walk in the park.

The competition was fierce and a role for Rabbi Felix, who is now a composer for the Rising Star Steel Orchestra, proved to be Freddy's most formidable opponent.

We weren't in the same class, really, but we were going school at the same time, You know, I remember having a calypso competition with him one time.

You know, he will sing in a song by kitchen.

And then Jerry called and I was singing.

I sang in bouncy si by loud, funny.

My name, my calypso name was loud Boy Fish.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, we were nice competition in radio and songs.

And I sang a song like Kitchen a name Jerry quit.

I took the crown over five other people From there.

I started playing in the school band and stuff like that.

And one day I went to Tom and that I saw Crown in the table and I inquirer who go, and I said, Well, he was the Calypso king of the school.

Of course, I wasn't too happy about the Calypso business.

And I told him I was happy and I was against it.

And then Mr. Emanuel over there, and apparently he told Emanuel what was about what was happening, so that the man who came to me and spoke about the boy and his calypso, then he was good at it and I should allow him to continue.

And since the doctor spoke so relevant, I loaded from back then, he had he had the stage charisma, you had it from back then and yeah, he just needed to develop it in audacity to expose it.

You had it, you know.

You know, that's not natural talent.

Your band would not do.

No one thought.

00301 So with his father's blessings, Friday continued his calypso career when in more high school competitions and eventually moving on to play with TNT Brass, an explosive, young and talented band, I basically had a good start in Calypso, and as that would be high school there as well.

Also joined the band name TNT Brass, which is the real core of what John managed to do.

You know, it start out with people like Reeds and Francis Roberts, Perm Leonard and stuff.

All of us went school together and we taught him on Trevor Dodds.

We had a large group of guys, Steve Terrell.

We all started in high school and wild Fridays.

Talent as a calypso Indian couldn't be denied.

It was his other talents that began to take the spotlight during this period in the athletic arena, Freida was a multi-sport star at Nazareth High School, a standout in both football and basketball.

Basketball was my life back then.

Basketball taught me discipline.

In basketball, it taught me everything.

You know, basketball built my character, you know, And I just love the game.

From childhood time, we played basketball together.

You know, he's been our sports man and everything.

I used to play with a basketball team by the name of giants he used to play with before any basketball team.

And he was quite a sportsman.

He is a win all the trophy and stuff.

Okay.

So I'm a life.

My father been in music, and so if my father told us we had to make a decision whether we were going to be musicians or we going to be sports people, I mean, we had to make a decision whether we going to play sports or or play music because it was kind of hampering what our schedule was in on Friday.

Athletic ability was so good.

It overshadowed his music.

Calypso and TNT brass would temporarily take a backseat Friday chores Sports.

One of the top wide receivers in the Territory Friday earned a football scholarship to attend and play a Division one Oklahoma State University.

But dreams of a career in professional football was short lived.

The sweltering Oklahoma conditions during the fall workouts were too much for Friday to handle.

Friday left Oklahoma and transferred to Hampton University there.

Friday got a basketball scholarship to play for the school, but his transfer proved to be a case of moving from one extreme to another.

The harsh D.C. winter didn't suit Friday, so he returned to Saint Thomas back to his home.

His family and his music couldn't stand the heat and he went up to Hampton at the same time and he couldn't stand the cold.

So he came home for Christmas and that was it.

All on his mind was music.

Oh, it was rough, because I can tell you, between that one and him, I don't think different from that day until now, because he was really upset with me when he said he was going back and nearly came to blows.

But you couldn't get him to go back.

I couldn't get him to go back.

Education has always been very important to us.

It makes my parents of people of a certain means and they stressed education and we always put that in the forefront.

My sister Jennifer, she went on to college.

She's now has a Ph.D. and we always took a lead from her in terms of what we did.

So it was normal and accepted that we go to college.

So we did that.

And when they said that he wasn't going to go back, I was very disappointed because I thought that that's what he should have done because my sister Jennifer did it.

I did it.

My brother John did it, Joanne did it, and he was the next in line.

But Nicholas had another path in mind music.

And this was a path he pursued relentlessly.

Fridays returned to Saint Thomas, marked the resurgence of his calypso career and TNT brass.

His return provided the band with stability and lead vocals.

This is Cookie pie, and this is one of the frustrations that we would normally haul a Sunday evening jam here at any moment to be playing.

And during his break time he would give us a half an hour and some time we'll end up playing 2 hours during his break because the people would fall in love with the music so much just to see some youth being able to play the level of music that we were playing.

However, even with Friday at lead vocals and playing at its peak, TNT brass seemed to be playing second fiddle to Eddie and the movements, the diverse band who at the time was a major calypso force in the Territory and Greater Antilles.

I started on the farm into a group, a group from the high school mostly, and, well, Ross, Reg and Otis Martin.

Those guys was with band at the time.

You know, when we said we tried to get some of the other guys to fit in with them, you know, and we started we walked away until we start to play some tunes and people like what we had just for Merong listening, you know, And we started to play some concerts on Friday nights in the bandstand in Saint John.

Then from there, people started hiring us to do some fish fry parties and so on, and it's grow until it spread to Saint John, Tortola St Croix, and just about all over the Caribbean and even to New York and a few other states.

But what many of the members leaving the band after graduating from high school, Francis constantly found himself needing replacements.

Fortunately, Francis recognized the talent within the young TNT Brass Band.

His son was the bass player, and the band lead vocalist was a legend in the making.

After some of the guys started Go away after graduation from school, I had to replace them.

You know, let's say it was like institution.

No, keep replacing and everything.

And that's the way of Friday Group came in.

We got unit from TNT brass in 1980 Eddie for aerial movements asked us to join his band and we joined movements.

And from there was major music history.

I mean, where we got in the movements, we became exposed to a lot of the big kind of music, the crowds.

And every time you and people started to appreciate us more when we were in TLT Brass Music compete with other bands like the Drill ones.

They were far much out of the My high school We were from your direction and it was a kind of competition, you know, and that was made for fun.

With the change came immediate results Friday made an impact with both his vocal skills and songwriting ability.

At a time when we go on record for Carnival, we used to take sometimes song from some of the other young guys that couldn't promote the song, you know.

So we take this song on a recorded and build it up, you know, and give them credit and so on.

And the first song that really hit me was I used to Sit by Moon by going was, um, belonging to one guy in Saint John.

But Friday took that song and men really did wonders of it.

I did the music for it and give it to him, and he did wonders with the lyrics and so on.

See how you way in front of me like switching off.

You would be kind of a 1981.

He had a song called Back Born.

I had a song called Jump for 81.

Remember this?

So we going to jump jump in the band barn for 81.

That was decided one of my first songs I wrote in 1981 with Mandingo Brass.

He was with Eddie on the movements and we were battling for the road man.

Some people like his song, some people like my, you know.

And it came down to our fighting, down to the wire.

They were leading by a point or two coming into the stadium because that's the way you finish judging the road marches and stuff.

So somebody off of their truck came and went ahead of the autobahns until the autobahn to play their song so they could get a wider margin to win the road map.

So it was really kind of comical.

But the end and that went on the road march in 1981 with the song Backbone, when you took the first one March with One Backbone was tough.

You know, it was something like, well, we didn't expect Backbone to be.

The road was quite simple.

The tempo it was was not a uptempo tune, you know.

And when they on the song we actually won the war in March, I mean, they were in the one I would have been the bombers of the mixing, and they actually won the one man fight.

It was so hilarious, man.

He was all over.

He won the war March.

He won the war in March.

This is a movement that they same broke up and come again.

Fridays acquisition grew the movement's following and increased its loyalty.

This are one of the more tightest fights back in the day down here as we create.

This is not his song Let Loose.

Well, how do we take over?

What our shut?

Everything is elastic out and then when it bands take a break, some of the guys we go say how we go dance without music.

That's we come up with a death Man jam that we will say retain.

I got dancing in the street months ago.

We said Dancing.

Come up and say, Start dancing, dance done.

We still dancing all the way home.

In 1985, bandleader Eddie Francis retired.

The torch was passed, and Friday, along with Ray Francis, Eddie's son, were now the leaders of their band, The Jam Band.

Let's talk.

Rock your golf.

Are you a rugby?

I saw you on dates.

I will run things.

We'll run these.

These.

We will run these after Eddie decided to retire.

We then had his name, Eddie and the Movement.

And we couldn't use aerial movements anymore.

So he changed the name to Jam Band because people used to call us Eddie and the jam band movements.

Anyhow, jam bands popularity grew.

Yet on a larger scale, it took the masses time to catch up with Friday's style of music.

When we first started out playing on the style of some music that was liked or loved their own hair was the slow tempo calypso.

And everyone wants everyone to see you playing too fast.

You know you're playing too fast.

You got to play slow like the Trinidadians.

But Friday was determined to continue his up tempo pace and change the way Calypso was played.

He tapped into the AM radio audience, soliciting the crown prince of the airwaves, Earvin Brownie Brown, as a featured artist on a song for the band's album.

The song was Slide Wayne.

Well, Sly Duane is the thing that I created is a brownie brownie and what I created.

I love that music because I used to play it, and one day I got a record, forgot the name of it and everything just got the name of it.

And I put it on this American style thing and I put it on.

And then I got the idea to see around 12:00 midday is when people eat in and they may not pay much attention maybe to radio.

So I just decide to try something different.

And what I tried was the slide line which came in like accidentally.

The tune that was playing was a heavy merengue.

And I just decided to dance with it and had by myself.

And it worked because I heard a lot of people outside was doing it.

Now what we're going to do is have a landslide and everybody can join in, but you've got to be on a chair that have wheels, okay.

In order to enjoy this thing.

It was, okay, we're ready.

Now it's a little party walk.

I walk up, walk up, walk up.

This is how you walk up.

Everybody stay.

Fly.

Slide.

Wayne became a favorite in offices throughout the territory.

It increased Jam Band's audience and exposed many more to the change in a wave in Calypso.

In the air.

High up.

Hi.

Up, up, high up.

The officer Rock.

This is my Friday.

What?

Eventually, when the approval of the masses and change the sound and face of the music, the people actually followed our music because we changed the whole channel.

Everyone realized know that the people were going for the fast.

The style of music.

So the Trinidad music changed completely over the years from the nice little tempo to the uptempo.

Know what your hang until the Gone Too Fast.

If you look at even the bands today, all the bands today in 19 from 19, whenever he started up until 2007, they're still emulating Nick.

I mean, you look at it, guys are singing.

They got the neck on the side and you know, they just do everything just to be a nick Friday.

Regionally, it's the same thing.

You go down to Saint Kitts, you go down to Nieves, the whole Caribbean.

The whole music has changed just because of Nick.

Freddie developed something.

I mean, he cut his German style more or less, right?

It was different.

The chants, the music that he creates with his band.

It was totally different that it came out.

And I think it was adopted by most of the other islands.

That style and that style of music not only Caribbean way, but the more the bigger islands, Trinidad and all those other islands now start to take note.

And if you notice, they are step up the tempo a great deal and that tempo came from it.

Maji Element John Band We were these small island bands that bring down, so Freddie was part of that.

But more than just elevating Calypso tempo, Friday also influenced the content of local songs in almost every genre everybody else and oh shit, I'm telling you, man, be quick on the highway and look for the black van playing next Friday and then soccer Fridays.

Influence on the music was probably most evident at the 2005 Calypso Monarch competition in Trinidad and Livingstone.

Right?

So it's going on there.

It came up and down there and they get the sunrise.

It indicates I didn't get that indicator.

I'm the one that goes out right.

The song's original version was performed years earlier in Saint Thomas.

It was Friday 16th Road, much hit.

He came home and he was like, Guys, would you believe I made up this song?

And it's so funny because I could imagine seeing these people.

They indicates I left the you give a right and push back one time and stuff.

And we were just there having a good time receiving the Galvanize coming down.

I guess the song is windshield wiper, I'll say.

Remember standing near the at a post office square near the dignitaries booth where the governor and folks sit and as pretty quiet.

I was standing there for some time and talking.

And when the band came up, just as soon as they hit the corner by Garden Street, the old Chase Manhattan Bank.

And I don't remember what the song was, but when they came into the post Office Square, I remember everybody on that dignitary stand getting up and dance because I remember a ton of these can be the same people that backing up.

And I stood there and all of what had just occurred and then sitting quietly letting this band come through and then everybody just erupting and and that's that will always be one of those sort of moments that you go, okay, I get this.

That's the king of the road.

I mean, that's the king of the rule.

He can he can think up lyrics right on his spot.

Man Terrible woman, Bad luck songs came up out of little things that happened over the years.

You know, like I said, political things.

There are things little a lot of situations in our lives, meaning the songs have its own deeper meaning.

Oh, my God, let them know something about us.

We're from Rock City and we don't get to find myself answers.

Yeah, got to give it to Nicky.

The the good writer He.

Some songwriters don't know how it is.

Get them how to write them.

Nick Freitas songwriting.

The lyrical skills were astronomical.

The guy, he just like went into people's minds and just wrote and did it.

I mean, I couldn't even touch him, not even with a ten foot pole, you know, He was just a genius.

He's very educated.

The domain, how he might be on stage.

He's very educated, he's well-rounded.

It kind of freaked me out.

And one of his songs one time even mentioned Fred Astaire.

A lot of people don't even know Fred Astaire.

It Friday, it was born in an era that we all grew up in those days kitchen, spa, all those guys, calypso rules that the whole everyone who made music in the movies, we grew up listening to those stuff.

Freddie was a genius in that because many times if I'm not playing and I happened to go around jamming, when he starts some time, he with just the rhythm machine alone, he start to sing and he go way back to me all the way back.

And you know, you want to know Well, some of the kids like follow him, though, really realize with where those songs came from.

So he had that ability.

He had all those knowledge for the songs from in the past.

I didn't really love that people are meant to be very quiet.

Most of his songs, written by Andrew Murray, The Beatles.

But with modern reading, he did this later.

The stuff coming up to him.

It's a five or seven star with this guy that we were just on, and we said, Well, how are we going to trump up this hill?

And so I said, My son, that we chip up the hill.

Well, let me work with them.

Yes, I was like a horse coming up the hill side of chip, being up the hill, being out of my singing price in John Oliver.

Chip in only one Miami album, right?

Yeah.

And he said he he was embracing the stage in the early eighties on their time.

I was just looking at him.

Also, if you're talking about tune, that's a different tune.

The ha strip.

You mean like a man?

But actually, to course, you know something like that, you know, we up to be somebody that extra different, you know, we, we read what you've written off of chip shop It seemed Friday could make a hit from anything even tragedy in 1989, Hurricane Hugo devastated the territory to make light of a bad situation.

Friday tapped into his fan base and wrote about the storm's aftermath.

The result was another hit song at a time.

John Money to be play in a place player to ask what they like.

And we had a storm I past September the 60 and with no power I know this and that we couldn't really do too much things on Friday's of still Comanche and all we need is game.

I think that's why I knew it was a gun being on at the time.

People were only pleased with the way why they I guess from looking until we got to a hurricane.

I know a lady forced me.

The hurricane island in about me is made out of a white vase.

I looting.

If people inherit things and people end up with chain and ring and buy shoes on, bad clothes on thing.

And I just take this no gun on May 20th, as far as the time done, was a big force in what involved in illegal things, what legal things I've done, what like a big posse.

So I just take the concept and I say you will make a lot of people them and I take it off right.

And bright It's a yeah man.

And from there you run away with it.

We are not you.

You, I ringside, man.

You.

I just don't know you.

This successful formula was duplicated in 1996 when the territory was struck by another massive storm.

Saint Thomas felt the brunt of Hurricane Marilyn.

And this time, the musical genius sought help from a young girl who was very close to his heart.

Got a lot of the inspiration from like seeing us do things like I remember when Hurricane Marlene came out and him and I were in a bedroom and I was we were laying on the bed and I was like up to tree to tree.

Merle And then later on he came out and Marilyn sung, and there was a part in there that had helped to tree Marilyn had to do to blow up through.

Do you, do you got some but as good as Friday was that taken an everyday ordinary event and turning it into a hit calypso song not everyone approved of his lyrics.

Good evening.

You're on face to face.

Hello.

Good evening.

Hi.

Yes, I have a question about the lyrics of Jam that I think so.

Jam Band lyrics creates a hostile environment for their followers.

Songs like, for example, Killer Rabbit.

In the past that now?

Yeah.

Okay.

Interesting to jump in here because these kind of the lyrics and then some of the part the problems that you've been talking about, what you're doing about the lyrics.

In fact, during Friday's career, some blamed him and his band for negative and violent outbreaks during the jam band performances and Carnival celebrations.

Why is everybody on on John Barnes Case and other bands have, you know, same kind of problems.

I'm not denying the fact that other bands may have problems, but in my experience as chief of police, most of the problem so wrong jam band and let me say keys to something jam band the followers of the band.

Yeah.

Now they may have problem fight and other stuff and there about to do juvie but based on reports I get back to me is always so wrong.

Jam band so we must focus on that group.

I mean it's obvious this killer are beating the missing trumpet.

The thing from the beginning.

No, this killing I've been playing on TV for years.

Every word.

Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny play.

You hear the song Kill the Me to Kill Reality, actually.

And the other thing for the better with mindset and we're working on finding something with some style but so many why the find a way of it?

But that's it.

But there's nobody with me that made lyrics to make people do things because to avoid one one thing, they got a bus up.

They had an exposure to this thing more violent song than me.

What if I wanted freedom to have more violent songs on me?

I'm no song could make nobody do nothing.

I don't care what people say.

No psycho making them by creating no that buy Don't Be Myself massive.

The big group that could make it myself.

Okay, it all make sense.

I won't write lyrics.

I'm to tell me to sing certain things.

I won't do it.

I will really neglect how I feel.

I never wanted to tell a I will shoot a man or kill a man or something like that, but if I find something catchy me more so it will mean one thing that we got time.

I don't like it.

I write it for me out of my heart.

I think we ran to the track, contain my lyrics that because other people can make things out of them, why they aren't damn my lyrics in a different than nobody is lately.

But listen, everybody is there to have more more thing.

The way makes sense.

But the focus on me because of popularity of John Man for one and the man of me, good news next.

So if you check out and it sounds they have more violent things the way it is, I don't really say anything violent what you say so in front of everybody to have a good day.

I got a someone them could use double meanings when I got obsessed in my shop.

Something you know it means so much about.

How am I something?

You mean like having a good time party or something?

That, you know, if you wanted to read something, the loser and that's up to you.

But nobody won't tell.

Nick faded.

This is well, saying this would be guys so I got me here so it won't work later he had a son Rocky Legend.

He was calling him Smash.

And what he started protesting.

People start to go crazy to jump in wild and crazy, though I the thing was they didn't the movement and it all in.

Well now we've got to change the song and you know no one no one in the world I don't think they know I'm the one.

So he went home and I said no.

One days they love sitting down playing with the alien game with a cool son beside me to please give me a song.

I just want to see a friend.

Just I'm on smashing and I got my life me tongue when I tell me when without meeting.

I don't want this When you don't want all violence inciting violence.

And Ed, you know we will be with the fun views.

I'm after my style.

We decide, man those people really going and terrible So we're going to try to cool the temper a little you know it so we we record this song, cool them down, cooling down.

But it really didn't call them.

Don't you know, because the you know, it was jumping the same way.

But, uh, the you could see that at least people see that we wasn't encouraging that type of behavior, you know, whether people loved his music or despised his lyrics.

There was no mistaking that on stage and on the mic Friday possessed an unparalleled power over the crowd.

I'd hear about it and I'd come home for a carnival, and then I'd see him perform and see the crowd reaction.

But I always remember sort of the first time that it hit me and it hit me physically hit me, so to speak.

I came home.

I remember coming home and I flight came in late in the afternoon flight and kind of was already happening.

And my parents picked me up and said Nick was performing in the village and said, Oh, let me stop and at least say hello to him on the way home.

And we parked the car.

I got out the car and when the band was on a break and so I was walking towards the stage, go and greet him before I got to the stage.

So they regrouped and I remember when the first chord was struck and people just threw their hands up and somebodys hand made a connection with my face.

And I'm like, I don't think so.

I'll see him tomorrow.

And I got out the crowd and I'd heard about it.

But until you sit in the middle of a crowd of young people who were in this lull and then that's the first note that was struck, they just went went while the guy is like a royal college paper.

And we are like some mice.

I mean, do you think that we do?

It's that time of the night.

If you ever I bet if you ever wheel to wheel, to wheel to wheel, when the webbing speeds up with women in the bus, when women in middle weight, and it was this presence, this controlling force over fans that Friday and John Ban brought to every performance and unfortunately for some every competition especially the road march showdown.

I don't know if we had anybody more competitive than that.

If you guys when he did manage to lose a road master like me, for instance, I was fortunate to win probably of all the road marches from 1978.

Let me go back to 1981.

From 1981 until present time, 2005.

That's 24 years ago.

If I'm correct, 24 years gone from then.

Friday has lost probably about five road March.

Between 1981 and 2005.

I was responsible for winning three of those in 1982, like I said, off my gem, 83 in traffic died and in 1998 with this one is for me, Lou, he also had a thing where in the years with the tools in in 1992 you didn't win the much either.

I think that was imaginations.

I think they had one dangerous.

I believe the name of the song was in 2002 when we had our 50th anniversary that he just came from seeing great.

And I'm part rugged with a happy body kind of all.

And I went to a match then to on Friday would really you know he what do you want to really I can of course I'm going to so but you know visually he was upset because this is his thing.

Nobody is supposed to come on winner.

We will march from him.

And then he would just come back the following year with more blood in his eyes.

On winner would match again.

So that was really that's that was really the competitive side of that he Friday Friday with the Jumpman and imaginations would just come competition.

Holloway It was really competitive.

He had a very competitive spirit and it drove both bands to be so competitive that that's what cause the music of the Virgin Atlantic come out very competitive, extraordinary competitive.

That's one of the driving force in Jumpman because we even we even are competitive among ourselves to strive not in a negative but a positive way.

But Friday, very competitive.

It's like he invented a world of competitiveness.

Hey, whatever you do, this guy was competitive and no band felt Fridays competitive nature like 17 plus.

Although the group of young musicians seemed talented enough to threaten Friday and John Band for the top spot in Virgin Islands calypso music during the mid and late eighties, the group, as good as it was, couldn't overcome Friday's already legendary status.

The thing was, we tried.

It was not going head to head.

Yeah, just like we were not going head to head with flames.

So I mean he is a try a lot of strategies and stuff, but they never work because it was I was I had you know, it was I was I had at the time we had we had the hip, our songs, you know, we had the dress code there.

We just we just we've just allowed, you know.

But then at the same time, he was a try, you know.

And he also succeeded, too, because his writing, regardless of how some felt about the outcomes by 2005 Friday and the Awesome Jam band had amassed 19 road major titles, rap running the Body, the band showed no signs that it was slowing down.

In fact, for Friday and his band, the time was right to cross the waters and contend for the Festival Road Month challenge on the Big Island.

I'm sure some cruise runs would like that.

Freight is a one Neutrogena offering to win Saint Croix to broad my title ever.

Would you ever do that?

I would do it.

I would do it.

I don't want anybody to say, well, I ain't giving them a chance.

Or I go and does come in and take over because when they come in coming to take over, I ain't coming to half step.

I commit to run the thing.

Oh, so if I commencing quickly in full force so I give these guys a little size.

No, I want more times they got Well next year I will come with something Just because you're telling me just because I.

But tragedy struck and Friday's vibe for a 20th road March title and a Saint Croix festival takeover would never materialize.

A secret the king of the road kept from.

Many finally caught up with him on October 3rd, 2005, at approximately 8:30 a.m. Friday was brought to the Roy Lester Snyder Regional Hospital by his girlfriend Jackie.

The singer had experienced a sleepless night due to a high fever, chest pains and swelling in his extremities.

The complications were related to fight his long bout with diabetes been the norm for quite a while, but him being the person that he was, he didn't want anyone to know that he was sick.

He wanted to be out there singing and to continue singing until the end.

I knew that he was sick.

I didn't know how sick, you know, I used to hear a lot of stuff.

He he he kept a lot of it a secret, I guess.

You know, he probably didn't want to to to really worry us, you know?

But I, he I mean, a shocked me.

It was we couldn't let anyone know, you know, the extent of his illness because that's what he wanted.

Friday would not leave the hospital alive.

The V.A.

legend died the next day just before 5 p.m.. A wave of unfortunate news this Monday afternoon as we can now confirm the death of Nicholas Nick Friday, the leader of the renowned jam band at the Royal Schneider Hospital.

Having heard the reports about an hour ago, we've been able to make contact with the chief operating officer of the Schneider Regional Medical Center in his party, Junior, who confirmed Friday's death just before 5:00 this afternoon.

Reports from friends, family members, as well as members of the jam band indicate that Nick Friday had fallen ill in recent days.

He had been hospitalized either Saturday night or Sunday, and gradually his condition worsened, despite the best efforts of his physicians to treat complications from diabetes.

Again, we can now confirm the death of Nick Daddy Friday, a musical icon, a man certainly who can be credited with changing forever the Virgin Islands music landscape in his early forties.

Nick Friday is dead.

Word of Friday's passing spread throughout the Caribbean community like wildfire almost immediately, calls were coming in from the US mainland and beyond.

Fans, friends, musicians and promoters were all trying to verify the news.

For many, it was hard to accept the vibe.

Calypso legend The King of the Road, was dead at 43.

You know, you don't expect somebody like me excited that they got to see his Long Island.

I guess like the living 78 years, a little singing, kind of slow until dancing in the morning.

The outpouring of love following Friday's passing was monumental.

Within days of his death, a website commemorating the life of the legend was launched.

There were messages from fans, international artists and dignitaries.

The viewing and funeral services could arguably be the largest in Virgin Islands history, as throngs of people came out to see and pay their last respects to Friday.

Inside, people sang songs from local.

We know the power, Father.

I know.

We understand why they took pictures and offered their condolences to family members.

Limitless something I myself have also to tell you as I walked outside, some paid tribute by playing and dancing to Friday's music that guitar Daddy wrote.

Daddy, Daddy wrote that Daddy had the birth of Simba Shelter Auditorium was filled to capacity for the funeral service with family friends, fans and dignitaries in attendance.

I love that his father not forgotten the town that there was no glad to receive the very soul when you heard that Don Van Gogh had to move, he had a right.

It was only fitting that for an entertainer who made a career filling dance halls all over the world, the last venue to host him would be filled to capacity as well.

I know I was.

I got to go into the Friday when it was Eddie and the movements, even though I'm from Trinidad.

But those days I used to visit St Thomas and perform with Eddie and the momentum there was riding.

He went to Antigua.

Yeah.

Guy who took those food and their food.

And we always have a good time.

Yeah, Yeah, you do go on.

But we all got to jump on our condolences to his family and his fans.

Friday's funeral was one fit for a king, and the vice king of the road had the procession to match.

But for fans, it was their final chance to revel and Trump behind Nick.

That Friday.

Trevor Nicholas Friday, a musical genius whose work touched thousands and inspired many to follow in his footsteps.

Everybody would love to try it and let's make some noise.

And he finished with the daddy, invited touch.

Many people around the world really will be missing him after follow him.

I have to.

He's he's like a michael Jordan, you know what I mean?

It's Just to see him and to see him control the crowd and and and get the response that he got.

It was just is is really something for for an aspiring artist to see on that kind of level.

Like you know when you see it you like, you know I want to be more than just a great artist.

Freida was a role model that gave back to his community.

As I see your body, we don't have some of the electronic gadgets that exists in some of these brass bands.

All we have is notes.

Therefore, all we could do is kill you with music, so to speak.

I'm Friday was, I think, understanding of that in his renditions.

I think in some aspect he tried to consider us many conversations we had with Friday between the arrangers of rising stars and Friday and Self, myself and others, And it was always along the lines of keep in whatever you put in to get the melody.

He finished, you know, in such a way that I was to be able to support that we wanted to do on a quality.

He was more inspirational, you know, you know it again, but as when you come out on the field, everybody's got a little extra energy, you know, because Nick, Daddy, Freddie and Ophelia, you know, they'll get that extra energy.

He left a legacy to the school.

And while you were head coach, all the guys he initiated, he let the guys know whatever you do, you put your best, try your best.

You go 100%.

And in that way, you're going to achieve some great goals because every day showed up to practice.

And this is keeping with his band schedule.

He used to work.

He used to either go school full time or full time student, so he would balance in a heavy schedule, but still took the time to come to every practice, push the team, motivate the team, work really hard with the team.

I mean, do a lot of math.

I mean, I admired his whole work ethic and I passed on to the rest of us.

But above all, Nick, Daddy Friday was a loving father, friend and family man.

I remember back in the days when I do find and I, especially in New York City, big job burned in flames.

You have Gilbert C.K.

You also have small acts.

You know, alongside John.

And on these, you know, these big, big clashes and daddy fighting to come with something and say, hey, daddy, we're all in more danger tonight.

You know, you know, like grabbed my head and say he was a father of our fathers.

His children came first and foremost.

Even my kids came first and foremost with him because they were around him from the ages of two and five, you know, And he was always there for them, always there.

They were, number one.

So many good times.

I thought we had, um, we I don't know.

I think we had some real personal time, especially when his son was born, mechanic and stuff like that.

I that was really touching for him because he, he was so happy to be a father and stuff like that.

And, um, besides the music part, you know, very good.

But especially to me, a What can I say?

I couldn't say I need something.

And he knew I needed it and he didn't put himself out to be the one thing that I miss the most.

So that I remember.

It's always the laughter and the jokes.

I could count on him to tell me the truth about anything.

Even my friends, when I talk to my friends, like I always tell me about, you know, your father is so crazy.

I just see my he always tell me something crazy.

So that's just the kind of person that you love.

And I saw I got that from him, too.

Because when I'm around my friends and at that time my whole life, I still present.

He does the same things to other people.

I was there.

Me God, you look so much like your father.

You act like you know, you behave like your mom.

Everything I know, I'm like, I don't see that.

But now I do.

And.

But I have a lot of great memories.

And I just trying to hold on to them to get through this because it's relaxing.

But great father, good man, good friend, everything.

Every talented individual looks up to somebody in the beginning.

Who did you look up to?

Where did you get your musical inspiration for my music.

Inspiration from a lot of different people.

You know, Californians like Chuck King, obstinate local artists, like all this.

Martin Russell.

It shows you have things that a lot of people he's a fan of.

We have these bands really spinning.

And I mean, I watch these guys and when these guys with big rigs will jump on instruments and change reality when we get smart and stuff later, you know, like all heroes, I said when one of these is I want to be like them, know it off of it, man.

Basically young musicians see, sometimes it may not happen overnight that you become star or become big, but stick with it, practice, stick with it, don't give up and eventually go get where you want to go.

You know the real legit dream it it didn't come for us overnight.

I mean, we're we work hard over the years and we get in a position where, no, we could travel and do as we want.

And his music, you know, But a lot of people want it right away and they give up when they can't get it right, that we will stick with it.

It'll work for you.

It's important to note that during the peak of his playing days, Writer returned to school and received a law degree in recent years.

Prior to his passing, Friday also ran for a seat in the Vienna Legislature on more than one occasion.

And although his bids were unsuccessful, Friday's attempt showed his unwavering desire to his community.

Figure that out to be a good person to lead.

Yeah, I mean, if you still stand and say four years and not get into the game and just talk, yeah, then you just pass by with time as nothing.

I'm here.

I'm actually being a part of the game as it should and people I want to lead and meet.

I don't need the best leadership could fail.

I feel I'm fat, that I could be one of the best leaders in the Netherlands.

Out Friday also left his fans the same way he was introduced to them with music, with a song that made lawmakers consider new legislation.

I privilege Senator Richards.

I am prepared to offer an amendment to 20 60189, which is the bill to honor come in traveler Nicholas Nick Friday the Legislature of ordinances hereby adopted Song VII from the 2004 jamband CD entitled We from the VI as the territorial, not the national as a territorial song of the Virgin Islands.

I so move.

This song is one that came from the heart, the song Virgin Islanders can consider their own and one that will always remind us all how special and fortunate we are to have seen and heard.

Nick Daddy Friday talking about the land of beauty.

We call it paradise.

You want to come down and we need the Virgin Islands.

We got to show progress.

We know you have yours too.

We're doing our best to solve and we want to welcome you.

We we all have our DVD of our place in our space and time.

And some of us feel as well.

You did that.

We Oh, I.

My hat's off to him.

But as I said, he did what he came here to do and he did it well.

And we'll remember him for that.

And to improve the score, dance.

Let's say no, But he's somebody who really set the pace and seen the style of music in the entire country.

Good, big problem.

The Tell me back to school model.

What's it like to hear everyone person looks despite what they might be worth?

Don not spending enough time to not drive up to bring feet down my feet.

I know my life.

I don't see it.

Most people use it, but they want to just see.

I don't see me doing it with any other type of music.

This is the music I want to take over and tap calypso down the bandstand.

So I see my future as, like I said, being on MTV the 80 and playing for a huge crowd like that, that's our own time.

He was in Boston.

Businessman, musician, member, son, and I decided that I got to feel like that on both sides of football.

You know, we all love peanut butter.

Sometimes it's these mean nothing, no contest, no better.

You got to put this in, but you still have to find out how to run the military.

But just to be doing it for all the young musicians, we want to be the next down line or of course, fail or square one dedication practice.

You have to give up a lot of a lot of stuff that you do if you really wanted it.

I mean, we said at the time, but it gives you more time to buy to resolve the things that are in body, some sort of things that are shocking the wrong side.

And he was a positive.

He was taking me back inside me when I music I'm like, you know, you need to do the program you have just seen was positive in part by the Virgin Islands Council of the Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts.

You know, I think that on both sides of.