Gordon Robinson | Mama lip!

For my sins, in 1969, while in fifth form at Campion College, I was appointed a Prefect.

Despite my carefully constructed, spotless disciplinary record, I was NOT Prefect material. For example, although I dutifully mouthed the Roman Catholic prayer “Hail Mary” thrice per day (still know it by heart), I remained a devoted punter. That vocation started from my days at Musgrave Prep and has been a lifelong pursuit. So, whenever races at Caymanas Park ran on a Wednesday, I’d adroitly skip class to place a wager with a Matilda’s Corner Bookie.

In those days my weekly pocket money was £1 (J$2.00 since September 8, 1969). At school canteen a patty; coco-bread; soda; and sugar bun (for dessert) cost one shilling six pence (1 and 6) or 15 cents. I lived in Mona Heights; begged a drive to school from a neighbour; and walked home. So five days of lunch left me with more than ten shillings (well, alright a dollar) to buy life’s necessities which, of course, meant a five-shillings place bet on Wednesdays and another on Saturdays.

I know. I should be Minister of Finance.

Where was I? Ah, yes, one Wednesday I scurried up Old Hope Road and turned into my favourite Betting Shop only to be confronted with a fourth-former placing a bet. What to do? Showing outstanding thinking-on-my-feet skills that would one day make me a Supreme Court hack, I pretended I’d followed him there; “arrested” him; and brought him back to school for his inevitable detention.

I later confessed to the miscreant. He assured me he knew I was a regular at that institution for the socially depraved. We became close friends. His name was Delroy Cooper but was known throughout Campion as “Mama Lip” (owned a large pair). Later he told me his real name was Fitzroy Delroy Cooper but a JC “Old Boy” on Twitter recently corrected me that his name was Delroy Fitzalbert. Either that’s not what Delroy told me or my dementia is deepening.

Trust me there’s a point to all this.

At the time, I was very much into drama (theatre) and writing (school magazine) through the influence of my good friend “Musclecock” (“Muscle” for short) who you first met in The Gleaner on October 23, 2012 ( Why Gay ‘Rights’). We became obsessed with Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar and, circa 1970, decided to create a Jamaican version.

The script wasn’t a problem. “Muscle” did the conceptualizing and I the writing but we couldn’t write music. That’s where Delroy came in. “My brother is into music” he said. So we trekked with him to the home where we found older brother Michael at a piano. We showed him the script. He agreed to write the score. His prodigious talent was obvious even then. He must’ve received classical training. Then and there I knew he’d become a star in the musical firmament.

Unfortunately two teenagers couldn’t raise the support (or finances) to mount the production; Delroy died tragically while I was studying law in Barbados; and I only saw Michael on and off (more “off”) afterwards. But whenever we did pass like ships in the night he was always the same person I met in 1970 – humble, approachable and congenial. On the odd occasion he “bucked-up” the Old Ball and Chain, he was very much “Ibo” especially after initially thinking she was her (much) older sister who he said he “saw” at the National Arena in 1960-plenty but remembered by name. Old BC immediately corrected his mistaken identity. He wasn’t perturbed and always treated her graciously.

He joined Inner Circle then co-founded Third World with “Cat” Coore (definitely plenty classical training there). Third World became Jamaica’s best show/recording band. His musical journey is well documented and his many accolades well deserved but, for me, his best work was done with family and at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts where he moulded Jamaica’s music future.

Now that we found love

what are we gonna do

with it?

Michael found love in music and life. In 2023 he suffered intolerable tragedy with the sudden death of son, Arif, in March and wife, Joy, on September 28. If it’s possible to die of a broken heart I’m certain Michael’s pathology report will list that as the cause of his death two weeks later. Medical science? Schmedical science!

Kingsley Michael “Ibo” Cooper, born January 14, 1952; died October 12, 2023, R.I.P. I will remember you.

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com