Lester Sterling remains untarnished
Interview by Abram Jones. Camera work by Peggy McClanahan. Present are Curtis Meacham and Brian Keyo.
The Rude Roots film crew was given the privilege of meeting and hanging out with the Skatalites when they came through California in April. Over the course of three days we caught a couple of their tour dates and were hosted by their manager, Brian Keyo, a very nice guy. This was a rare opportunity, as not only are all the original Skatalites over seventy, but also for this tour Johnny "Dizzy" Moore (famous for tracks such as "Red is Danger") was playing with them. This interview will consist of at least two parts, as we talked to Lester nearly until the sun rose!

Abram:Lester, can you tell us the story about how you guys used to have sound battles on stage where you would try to get the biggest cheer from the crowd?

Lester Sterling:Eh?

Curtis:He means like, back in the day, you guys, the members of the Skatalites would each solo, and then after each solo, you guys would raise your hands and see if the crowd would scream for you; and that you guys would get into conversations...

LS:Hahaha...yeah it was really a competition. Especially between me and Tommy McCook. Even Don Drummond, because yunno, when Don have a time he blow away everybody, with just his trombone. He was really a genius in his own way. But everybody was playing good; everybody was playing good because we were playing more often. Yunno? Finger quicker...you tink better.

CM:You guys...when did you stop playing? As the Skatalites? LS:Oh, as the Skatalites. CM:What was it, like, '68? '67? AJ:'64. LS:Yah the band never last long, like 14 months. But I never stop yunno. No, I never stop. I played trumpet for Byron Lee. I was Byron Lee's trumpeter yunno, for five years.

Brian Keyo:It was always three at the time though, right? Three trumpets?

LS:It was two.

CM:I wonder if he's on the "This is Ska" video?

BK:No, I don't think he's on there. We were watching "Rebel Music" today, you know the Bob Marley DVD? Anyways there's thirty seconds of the Skatalites on there. 1965, playing on a flatbed truck. You saw yourself on there.

LS:Yah. A likkle piece.

BK:Yeah it's tough, you've gotta slow it down, freeze frame it. He has his back to the camera. That's the only footage from the sixties so far.

CM/AJ:Wow

BK:Besides a TV appearance, on Jamaica Bandstand. The foundation ska cover is from that. But supposedly it wasn't filmed; it was just broadcast live and then that was it. They never recorded the tape, it was just a live broadcast. Do you remember that Lester? Well, you weren't even there supposedly. You're not in the photo.

LS:When I worked with Byron though, it was two Lesters playing trumpet. Lester Williams and Lester Sterling. Lester Williams was kinda haad bway. And when him get drunk he just disappear. Sometime yuh nuh see him for a month, three weeks, yunno so...I was right up there playing lead trumpet, takin up all the parts, doublin'! So after a while I tell Byron, 'No, no...you ha fi get a backup trumpeter.' Yunno, too much, becaa I was playin flute and trumpet. So him decide to get one a them bwoys from the army. It was a guy named Lander, so it work out.

AJ:What do you think happened to Don Drummond in the asylum? LS:Say again, what do I think...? AJ:Because y'know, he was in good health, and all of a sudden he died. So, a lot of people thought maybe something happened to him in that place.

LS:A lot of people think so, but... I was playing with Byron Lee when he went to court. When we were in the band the Skatalites that when him commit the crime. THEY say. But, I went and look for Don Drummond and we talk about the incident and it's like him say 'Bwooooy, I never did it! That silly girl do it to herself.' I don't know what to say. Knowin' Don Drummond and knowin' the girl, the girl used to have some crazy way too. Yunno she always carry a knife. Whether it was playful or whatever, yunno, she always had a knife. So, I can't say whether Don D did it or she. But he was a likkle bit off too, yunno. And he died in Bellevue, they found him dead in the cell, and that was it. People start to make a lot of problem at the burial. 'Stop the funeral, stop the funeral!' So the government come and take the body and bury it quietly. I went to a seminar at the University, it was one about Don Drummond. But I understand that none of the Don Drummond burial sites can be found. Bwooooy, I cannot say nuttin.

Tune in next time for part two of the Lester Sterling interview!

All photos and text copyright 2002 Rude Roots