Duane “Dewey” Jones Sr. – Past Glitterati

I recently returned from an unplanned trip to Bermuda. My Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer last year but after radiation treatments was on his way to a speedy recovery. This wouldn’t last long, as his cancer re-emerged and struck other parts of his body. This prompted me to get my recently expired passport up to date and make arrangements for my kids and I to visit him. My passport arrived much earlier than expected and we were able to fly out but shortly after we arrived my father passed away. If my passport came when I initially expected, we would have missed him. I’m thankful to God that I was given that time. Some people, including him, say that he was waiting for us before he would let go of this world. The last words he said to me were, "Are you happy?" and "I love you son". To which I replied, "Yes, and I love you too".

My father was loved by many people as my siblings and I have come to find out. We were approached by streams of people who expressed their appreciation for him and his funeral filled the church and spilled onto Court Street (His old stomping grounds). Unlike my Dad, I was a bit of a nerd growing up. He was always, the coolest guy in the room from my perspective and I sometimes wondered what went wrong with me. He played the keyboard in a band, was really smooth with the ladies and nothing seemed to phase him.

Mom with Pops rockin' the Rick Ross and holding a baby Glitterati Duane

 To my surprise, I learned that he wasn’t just a "jobber" moonlighting as a musician, but was somewhat of a local jazz and rock legend. As a teenager he went to school by day and played music at night to help pay bills at home. This continued until his high school principal forced him to decide between music and school. He chose music. As a mostly self-taught pianist he had started to build a reputation for himself in Bermuda and was making connections with some of the island's best emerging rock talents of the time including Michael Curtis Clarke, Dennis Joell, Charles Taylor, Tony Cox, Big Daddy Yates, Artie Simmons, Tiny Ray and Keith Casey. He was also able to play with international artists including but not limited to Diana Ross and the Supremes, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Nash, Martha and the Vandellas, Wilson Pickett. The guys that my Dad played with in the early days went through a number of band names to reflect changes in times and music and came close to signing a record deal after recording in New York in the 60’s. After their deal fell through due to a bidding war that ended in a stale mate, he and his band mates took their talents to Canada, America and later to Britain where they would go on to tour Europe, the Middle East and Africa playing music. They got kicked out of countries, went through bouts of starvation, groupies, band break ups and lived the rock-n-roll life.

Left to right: Dewey Jones, Michael Curtis Clarke, Charles Taylor Dennis "Humphrey" Joell

My Dad was an anomaly because he seemed to have boundless confidence but he was a humble dude. I never knew that he had accomplished so much because when he returned to Bermuda, long before I was born, he took the responsible route and worked as a taxi driver. He was proud to own two taxis; One that he and my mother had purchased and one that was willed to him by his father. Working as a taxi driver gave him the flexibility to set his own hours so he could continue to play music professionally up until his sickness took that away from him. He often bragged to me about not having to kiss anyone’s ass and work when he felt like it. I used think to myself, “Whatever Daddy”. I reflect on the memories of him telling me that now and I realize that he influenced my interest in entrepreneurship without me even knowing it. I’m even following his example by working a day job and pursuing my passion projects at night.

As an adult, I had a complicated relationship with my father though. My dad was stubborn and I am my father’s son and can be just as stubborn. My dad and I never really had serious issues with each other but there was a distance between us. We were a lot alike and I really enjoyed my talks with him but sometimes I felt like I was talking to an old friend more than a “Dad”. When he got sick; in conversations, he played his typical cool guy role and played down his illness. I assumed that I would have lots of time to talk to him about his early years as a musician, his European tour and share with him why I empathize with him as a father now that I’ve been doing it for a few years. I’m an Artist and I wanted to tell him that I share his love for music and how his love for music is like my love for art. I wanted him to know that I admired him for being able to earn money doing what he loved for so long. I am grateful that I WAS able to have some of those conversations and show him a video of his oldest granddaughter playing the piano before he passed. I hope that those experiences helped him to find peace in the end. I hope that he realized that my siblings and I never stopped loving him and that even though he struggled to verbalize his feelings we knew how proud he was of us and how much he loved us.

Love you Pops

Michael and Dewey picture taken from the book, Curtis, A Tribute to Michael Clarke

Assorted band shots taken from the book, Curtis, A Tribute to Michael Clarke