JIM ST ROSE Pan Player

   Jim St Rose started to play the steelpan at the age of 14 years while at Woodbrook Presbyterian School where he got his primary education.

   He was born in Benares Street, St James; and his uncle is Kelvin 'Zuzie' St Rose [the proficient pan tuner].

   He began playing with Invaders in 1958 and this caused him to get a flogging from his father; as did so many young boys who ventured into playing the steelpan.

   Having heard of pans in the Little Carib Theatre, which was just behind Invaders [yard]; he went there and began to teach smaller boys to play the pan.

   He eventually carried the art to Invaders where he was encouraged by Ellie Manette. Among this group was Roy Rollock and Ray Holman.

   He continued to play with Invaders until 1960; when he founded Symphonettes together with Lloyd 'Shadow' Nathaniel and Lloyd Brown.

   The band [Symphonettes] was housed in the yard where Len 'Boogsie' Sharpe lived. Boogsie, then only a child, learnt to play the pan right there.

   Jim was a member of Pan Dimension - founded in 1974 along with Ray and Conrad Franklyn formerly of Symphonettes.

   Jim St Rose, a pannist of yesterday.

© 1997 Gideon Maxime: Pg 222; PAN THROUGH THE YEARS (1952 - 1996)

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© 1998: tobagojo@gmail.com - 19980318 - 1m20071228 - 2m20140615 Historic Update: 04 December 1999; Last Update: 19 July 2014 03:30:00 TT Processed by: Jeremy G de Barry