by Mandingo
King Stitt was and is my friend, teacher and mentor and I say this because like his soul, his musical contribution will never ever die but will always be present to remind and inspire us who love the music that Africans in Jamaica produced. Winston Sparks is the name on his birth certificate but the name King Stitt is the one that is known internationally.
I remember being a youth attending dances in Spanish Town where King Stitt played Sir Coxson sound. His ability to galvanise the adoring crowds with lyrics as he selected and operated the sound system was unrivalled; he was a master of selection and in any sound clash he was devastating. He knew the records or wax, later called dubplates to ‘draw’ and when to draw or play them. His introduction of what he was about to play each time was peerless.
Count Machukie who recruited and trained King Stitt was of course an inspiration and mentor for me as well. It was at a dance in Central Kingston that Count Machukie, who was playing Sir Coxson's sound saw Stitt who was a legsman, dancing brilliantly to the tunes he was playing and asked Stitt if he wanted to be a deejay. Stitt told the Count that he did not know about being a deejay and Count told him that by the way he was dancing to the music, he was sure he would make an excellent deejay and that he the Count would teach him. The rest is history.
Over the years King Stitt promoted with Sir Coxson's sound music all over Jamaica. I recall a dance at Pieceaman Lawn on the Old Harbour Road in Spanish Town in 1967 when Sir Coxson’s (Owned by Clement “Sir Coxon” Dodd) with King Stitt deejaying, clashed with Stereo (owned by Seymour Williams, the genius sound builder from Spanish Town), with Prince Mango deejaying for Stereo. Stereo was the heavier and cleaner sound by far but Coxson’s had the music and that night King Stitt unleashed numerous brand new biscuits as he called the waxes to counteract Stereo's majestic sound excellence that Stitt gracefully admitted to. That was the night Ernest Wilson of the Clarendonians had his first solo, Undying Love played exclusively on wax of course; that was the night Sitting on The Dock of The Bay by The Heptones was first played exclusively on wax… new tunes like sand and guess what? King Stitt and Prince Mango never ever cursed any bad words, unlike the hurry come down and idiot deejays of now who delight in using bad words and dirtying down the music.
King Stitt was the first deejay to popularise deejaying on records with tunes like Fire Corner, Vigorton 2 and Herbman Shuffle etc yet he has not been given an OD by the authorities in Jamaica for his priceless contributions to Jamaican music nationally and internationally. Neither have Count Machukie or Duke Vin, aka Shine Shoes Vinnie who played Tom the Great Sebastian Sound. Incidentally, it was Vinnie who gave Machukie the chance to be a deejay and who started the first sound in Britain in 1955.
On merit, these three pioneers must be honoured. Artists who began their careers in the 1980's, long after have been given ODs because of political favouritism and corruption. King Stitt, you will always be my beloved friend, elder brother, adviser, mentor and teacher. Until we meet again in the next Sound Dimension with Sir D the greatest producer, long live the king – King Stitt.
