‘Godfather’ remembered

Richard Stoute was remembered as a true Bajan icon and the godfather of entertainment by an array of colleagues and commentators inside and outside the entertainment industry in the hours since his death on Saturday.

The founder of the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Contest as well as several other ventures aimed at supporting entertainment and creative talent was the subject of an outpouring of tributes from artists, friends, and other Barbadians who sought to pay homage to his five-decade career, after his death at the age of 77 on Sunday.

Carol Roberts-Reifer, CEO of the National Cultural Foundation, took to social media Sunday and paid this tribute to the stalwart: “Rest well my friend. I will miss your quick wit and humour, our long chats about anything and everything; I will miss refereeing between you and Gabby as to who was telling the most outlandish stories; I will miss our annual birthday celebrations, you on January 8th and me on the 9th.

“I will miss our partnership with the [Richard Stoute Teen Talent Contest] [and] I’m glad that we got to reintroduce the live band last year. Most of all I’ll miss you: your grace, dignity, charm and commitment to service to your country. I learned a lot, I surely laughed a lot and I listened a lot. I know you are at peace and I will never forget our parting words on Friday. Soar with the angels my friend!”

Hours after his death, Teen Contest veterans such as Terencia TC Coward, Edwin Yearwood and Adrian Clarke, also voiced their appreciation for the man who played a significant role in their artistic development.

Coward said “he mentored us, he nurtured us, he was firm with us when he needed to be, and we are all the better for it”.

“No one can say that they were responsible for three generations of entertainers that one country has produced other than Richard Stoute. I just want to say ‘thank you, Richard, thank you for all that you did for us. Thank you for being the godfather of entertainment’,” she added.

Clarke said that the teen talent competition did a lot to raise the bar for entertainment on the island.

“You can’t call five popular names in entertainment right now that have not been through Teen Talent. This goes back as far as the show goes; if you mention bands, you talk about Spice, they came through Teen Talent. You mention Calypso Monarchs and Party Monarchs and Roach March title winners, and Caribbean Song Contest contenders, they all came through Richard’s show. His show actually heightened the interest of most Barbadians when it came to entertainment,” he said.

“I remember Richard mainly for his backstage humour, whether it be at a show or. . .  at cricket.”

Yearwood described Stoute’s death as a tremendous loss for the entertainment fraternity and the nation.

“[He] kept pushing, and people like myself would have benefited tremendously from it [the Teen Talent contest]. He is going to be sadly missed. He was like a father figure to me and so many others, [and] I hope we can have his legacy live on,” he said.

Former Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Stephen Lashley paid this tribute: “His contribution to the development of entertainment and especially our youth is best recalled through the Richard Stoute Teen Talent competition which has been the foundation for the success of so many of our young artistes. It is through this developmental initiative that many of our most accomplished performers first found their way to the stage.

“He was relentless in his efforts to ensure that this competition survived and as then Minister I felt proud to support the important work that this great Barbadian was doing.”

Prime Minister Mia Mottley said Stoute was a “true Bajan icon” who “left an indelible mark on our cultural landscape”.

“Richard’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition, a fixture in local entertainment for an impressive 36 years. This platform has nurtured countless talents, including John King, Allison Hinds, Edwin Yearwood, and more, making Richard a beacon for Barbadian creativity,” she added.

“The Government of Barbados has conferred on Richard the Barbados Service Star in 1993 and the Gold Crown of Merit in 2008. On this occasion we go one step further and will affix his name to a facility we are certain will become the premier place for the display of local talent in the years ahead.”

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb