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On Tuesday of this week, the nation bade farewell to a veritable cultural icon, Ferrand ‘Randy D’ Dopwell. He was the second of what is called the “Golden Generation of broadcasting” to depart this life in the space of a few months, following Bernard ‘EB” John last year.
Randy and EB, both very popular figures in their own way, had much more in common than broadcasting and NBC Radio in particular. Both were very much involved in the cultural and entertainment life of the country as was evidenced by the key roles they both played in promoting calypso and calypso tents at Carnival time, being themselves outstanding MCs.
Tribute to Randy D
By: Nelson A. King - US Correspondent•
Unquestionably, Ferrand Randy D” Dopwell was a pre-eminent radio broadcaster and air personality, who served St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diaspora with utter distinction and humility.
He was a broadcaster extraordinaire – among the best, if not the best that our small nation ever offered. His skills, creativity and versatility were unmatched.
Even with his elevation on the airwaves, he never forgot his humble roots. He communicated well with all and sundry – regardless to color, class or creed.
He never looked down on anyone, and always offered hope and optimism, even in times of crisis.
Veteran radio personality passes on
Ferrand “Randy D” Dopwell. Social Share
St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has lost one of its veteran radio personalities in the person of Ferrand “Randy D” Dopwell.
The Rockies resident passed away at his home at around 11:10 p.m. on Thursday, January 14.
Dopwell, with his unique voice can be considered one of the pioneers of radio in SVG, having begun his career in 1977 at Radio 705, the lone radio station at that time.
Dopwell migrated to New York in 1971, with the sole aim of attending business school.
Speaking at an awards ceremony in 2017, Dopwell said while attending business school, all he knew about radio then was “the fascination that a man can be somewhere in the world, and you can listen to what he is saying, via radio.”
Call a spade, a spade! Social Share
I had planned this week to do a tribute to the second of our “Golden Generation of Broadcasting”, Ferrand “Randy D” Dopwell, to depart within the past year following Evans Bernard “E B” John last year. However, so critical is the crisis facing our country, the Caribbean and the world, a crisis in health and the economy in particular, that space available dictates that I give our collective well-being the priority and write about “Randy D’ next week, the week of his burial.
The COVID pandemic has cast a huge and deadly shadow over the entire world, enveloping millions in misery and death. The Caribbean has not been spared, given our open economies and ties with the countries from which the virus has been mainly spread, the USA, UK and Canada mainly. However, we here in SVG have had our troubles multiplied by an outbreak of dengue fever replete with fatalities, and now the looming threat of an explosive eruption of the