#BTEditorial – Pride and Industry: The gift that was Richard Stoute

It is so bright and yet so dark a week. As our fledgling republic marks its 57th anniversary of political Independence and celebrates the best of Barbadian creativity in NIFCA’s 50th anniversary, we mourn the loss of a true legend, Richard Dick Stoute, who dedicated his life to the enrichment of our musical and entertainment landscape. 

Stoute’s passion for music surfaced at the tender age of 12. He was destined for riches and fame, and he managed to build an impressive resume as a leader of the post-Independence generation of builders of our entertainment industry. Opportunities to venture beyond our shores and make a name for himself beckoned. Yet he chose to remain, devoting his career to mentoring and nurturing aspiring talents.

A member of a gifted family of entertainers, including Norma Stoute, one of Barbados’ finest female vocalists and his older brother Mike Wilkinson, a pioneer of Barbadian calypso, he was at the vanguard of an incredible phalanx of post-Independence talent to emerge from a single square mile of Greater Bridgetown, from Jackie Opel to Rihanna, encompassing Emmerton and Chapman’s Lane, New Orleans and Westbury Road. A remarkable student at St Mary’s Junior School and St Leonard’s Boys School, he became a leading singer in the 60s and 70s, captivating audiences not only in Barbados but also across the Caribbean, the United States, Britain and Canada. His extensive repertoire included hits like Goodbye, my Bajan Girl, To Love Somebody and Pretty Blue Eyes.

But his greatest gift to Barbados is its most enduring and he almost singlehandedly created an infrastructure of opportunity. In tribute to the beloved Opel, who died tragically young in 1970, he christened an original trio of crooners The Opels – Midge Springer, Hubert Grant and Charles Odell.

At a time when our homegrown genre, spouge, was on the wane, with the Crop Over Festival still a fledgling work in progress and even amid fierce debate as to whether there was even such a thing as Barbadian culture, he founded the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition in 1977. This groundbreaking initiative has become the foundation for the island’s most prominent voices – from the 1970s to last week. Notable graduates and contestants, including Rupee, Edwin Yearwood, Alison Hinds, and Terencia TC Coward have attested to Stoute’s unparalleled contribution to their achievements that are national success stories.

In a selfless act, Stoute sacrificed his own career and resources to uplift the succeeding generations of Barbadian talent. The list of names he nurtured is extensive, a testament to his dedication: Adrian Clarke, Anderson Blood Armstrong, Tamara Marshall, and Calypso Monarchs like Classic, Ian Webster, and Aziza.

Stories abound of personal sacrifice for the welfare of talented teens. Fellow cultural icon and boyhood friend Gabby, penning a heartfelt tribute in a poem, highlighted the gift that was Richard Stoute as he recalled their 65-year friendship: “Buying clothes for Contestants/ Paying taxi fare/Calling to see/They got home safely/Every single year!/He offered cars to winners.” Stoute’s impact on our cultural tapestry and the lives of others is encapsulated in Gabby’s words: “You are a Barbados Hero.”

Hours after the government announced the naming of the National Botanical Gardens amphitheatre in his honour, Stoute passed away at the age of 77. 

Prime Minister Mia Mottley said: “If the debt owed to him by those who have followed him into the entertainment industry over the past half-century is anything to go by, then there is no other entertainer to whom the country owes more than Richard Dick Stoute.”

We agree. The accolades of the Jackie Opel Award, Clement Payne Award, Barbados Silver Star, and the Gold Crown of Merit, one of the nation’s highest awards, can never begin to repay the enormous debt of gratitude that we owe him. A fashion icon known for his dapper formal look, his natty attire was merely the showman’s uniform of one of the humblest servants of our culture. 

In the wake of Stoute’s passing, calls have emerged for the highest national honour, the Order of the Freedom of Barbados, to be posthumously awarded. President of the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artists (BACA), Colin Spencer, emphasises that such recognition is fitting for a man who has left an indelible mark on the island’s creative industry.

We are however persuaded to believe that it was while he was alive that he craved some acknowledgment that he was doing right by others and by the nation he dearly loved. We are satisfied with the knowledge that he left this earth knowing that he is to be immortalised with the naming of the Botanical Gardens amphitheatre in his honour.

What will give us even greater assurance that the legacy of Richard Stoute is secure is the collective commitment of the Barbadian business community, the government and the people to the creation of a foundation bearing his name for the sake of future creatives and the cause of Bajan creativity. Let an institution bearing the hallmarks of selflessness, cooperation, dignity and respect, leadership and high standards not only support the continuation of the Teen Talent Contest but help lift talented Barbadians from poverty, despair, and artistic and musical deserts.

Now he belongs to the ages. Let his memory be embodied in our actions, personal and corporate, selflessly and humbly to open more pathways for young Bajans, regardless of background, to do credit to the nation wherever they go.