"Melo"

LORD   MELODY REAL NAME: Fitzroy Alexander DATE OF BIRTH: 1926 PLACE OF BIRTH: San Fernando, Trinidad EDUCATION: Belmont Orphanage CAREER:                              Melody left the Belmont Orphanage to join his mother in Arima where he befriended Lord Kitchener. Encouraged by Kitchener's success, he began singing in bars as Lord Livingstone in the 1940s and was given the name Lord Melody by a calypso tent manager. In 1945, he made his debut at a calypso tent, but left to join the Victory Tent the same year. He joined the House of Lords Tent in 1946 and moved to the Young Brigade Tent in 1947. He went on to become a very popular calypsonian in the 1950s and 1960s. His only title was in 1954 when he won the Calypso Crown with "Second Spring." Two of his calypsoes, "BooBoo Man" (1956) and "Shame and Scandal," were recorded by the famous American singer, Harry Belafonte. He was one of six calypsonians who were chosen to sing for Princess Margaret at the Governor's House during her visit to Trinidad in 1956; the others were Sir Galba, Mighty Dictator, Mighty Spitfire, Mighty Panther, and Lord Viper. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Melody made numerous stage appearances with the Mighty Sparrow with whom he traded friendly barbs in calypso form, to the delight of their audiences. In 1965, his calypso "Mas" was played by the Guinness Cavaliers in their steelband Panorama victory. He left the Original Young Brigade Tent for the Calypso Revue Tent in 1967 where he also shared Master of Ceremonies duties. He then moved to New York, USA, from the late 1960s to the early 1970s where he was contracted to compose for Belafonte. His other calypsoes include: 1946 - Chinese Scandal 1948 - Bad Company; Canaan Barrow; Berlin on A Donkey 1949 - Glory Mama Glory 1951 - Jonah and the Bake 1953 - Eating Competition 1954 - Second Spring 1955 - Diana Come Back 1956 - Hurricane Janet 1957 - Cowboy Sparrow; Come Go Calcutta 1958 - Apanjhaat; Carnival Proclamation; Capital Site; The Beast 1959 - Turn Back, Melody; Michael 1960 - Ice Man 1961 - Belmont Jackass; Hungry Barbers Also - Creature from the Black Lagoon; Melvina; Wine Melo; Gloria; Antiguan Girls; The Management; Mama Wan' Me; Hi Nigger; Crazy Love; Doctor Make Your Love; Marjorie; Mr. Melody; My Baby; So Long; Sparrow's Sister; Are You Guilty?; Canada So Cold; Long Time Story; Margie; Moses; Peddlers; Princess Margaret AWARD: 1989 - Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Silver (for Culture - posthumously) DIED: September 26, 1988, in Trinidad from cancer, after a long illness. Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit