On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, a great voice and entertainer, Dennis James, was laid to rest after a short battle with cancer.
Left to mourn is his wife and companion of over fifty years, Mildred James (née Douglas). Also mourning his passing are his children: daughter Kimberly and sons Dennis Jr. and Devaughn. His surviving siblings include Joan, Horris, and Robert, along with his grandchildren, nephews, and nieces.
Dennis James was born on the island of St. Lucia to parents Adriana “Addie” James from Guyana and Lawrence James from Bequia, St. Vincent. He was the eighth of ten children.
Dennis was passionate about music, and that is how he will always be remembered. He was one of St. Lucia’s best-dressed and most prominent entertainers.
Some of his greatest achievements in the 1960s included being the premiere entertainer at major events in St. Lucia and the country’s number one soul singer.
After releasing his first single, Keep On Running—a song made famous by The Spencer Davis Group, he went on to represent St. Lucia in competitions and other major events throughout the Caribbean.
The first band he sang with in St. Lucia was The Checkmates, but he found greater success as the lead vocalist of The N-Dees.
In the early 1970s, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he worked with young St. Lucian musicians to form a band. However, after marrying in 1974, he migrated to Montreal, Canada, the following year.
In Montreal, Dennis became the lead vocalist of Ebony Affair, a musical group formed by musicians from various parts of the Caribbean. With Ebony Affair, he toured across Canada, showcasing his talent to larger audiences.
After leaving Ebony Affair, he joined one of Montreal’s most entertaining musical bands, The Groove Masters.
I remember someone questioning his decision, asking, “Why are you joining up with those guys?”
His response was simple: “Dem guys always rehearsing.” Dennis loved to sing.
Initially, he was known primarily as a soul singer. His rendition of Tennessee Waltz was unmatched, and his performance of James Brown’s Prisoner of Love was a joy to behold.
I don’t recall exactly when he ventured into calypso competitions, but I do remember a conversation one night on Jean Talon, when he suggested writing a song about St. Lucia. Some laughed, but I knew he was serious.
Another conversation with Dennis was about a new calypso tent forming in Montreal, The Kaiso Tropical Tent. He encouraged me to check it out.
Upon returning to Montreal from a business trip, I took a taxi to Tiffany’s to see one of the tent’s shows.
Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. But I was pleasantly surprised by some of the performers especially Dennis.
On stage, he always gave it his all. He would later invite me to a tent meeting to share my thoughts, and that should have been the end of it.
Not long after, I was asked to join The Kaiso Tropical Tent as a writer and secretary.
After failing to win the Calypso Monarchy in Montreal, Dennis set his sights on a bigger stage in Toronto.
His initial attempts were unsuccessful, but he was a quick learner. Those losses weren’t setbacks; they were lessons learned.
He went on to win the coveted title three times, two of them, back- to- back.
A few years ago, he aimed even higher, competing in St. Lucia’s Calypso competition, where he reached the finals one year.
When someone is driven and passionate, about certain aspects in life, they may be perceived as “aloof,” “standoffish,” or “full of themselves.”
Over the years, Dennis became estranged from some of us, for reasons only he knew.
Personally, I harbored no ill will towards him for that.
Dennis was the first person to put me on a music stage as a teenager in St. Lucia with a band; The N-Dees, that opened doors for me musically and otherwise.
At the start of his calypso career, I was honored to have written and co-wrote some of his songs.
However, Thunder the song that won him his third Monarchy, could only have been written and performed by Dennis himself.
I will always be grateful to him.
And I am glad that, in some way, I was able to reciprocate the love, friendship, and support he gave me throughout his musical journey.
Pete Douglas
