Ace musician Roy Bodden moving on to Tampa
Veteran musician Roy Bodden
One of Cayman's favourite musicians and radio presenters, Roy Bodden is soon to retire and move to Tampa, Florida.
Originally from Cayman Brac, Mr. Bodden is planning to re-settle in the Florida town where he resided for many years.
When Mr. Bodden stopped working at Radio Cayman on 31st December, he had spent 11 years living on these Islands. Although he was born in this country, he pointed out that until he returned here in 1991 to work at the radio station, he had actually spent only about three months of his life here.
"Up to 1991 the Cayman Islands was almost a strange place to me", he remarked. Discussing these circumstances, he made reference to his vivid recollection of his first day at Radio Cayman and said that he recalls "getting lost" in downtown George Town while out for lunch.
But in no time Mr. Bodden and his wife, Reva (Ritch)Bodden, settled into a very happy life in Grand Cayman which he said was partly influenced by the presence of his two children, Rosemarie and Roger, both of whom have been residing on the island since 1986.
During his time at Radio Cayman, Mr. Bodden has been involved in both the advertising/sales and programming departments. Looking back, he said that it gave him much pleasure to present classical music to listeners as he has a special affinity for classical composers.
"Everybody finds that to be somewhat of an anomaly", he stated, in relation to the fact that he has a background in Country and Western music, the genre for which he is known.
"It's very difficult for me to describe why (I am drawn to both musical styles). Country music was always at home.
"My father was a (Caymanian) seaman and he would bring home recordings of artists such as Eddy Arnold,
Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family and names like Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers," he said.
"I was raised listening to these musicians but at the same time we also had Bing Crosby and Glenn Miller and other big band sounds of that era so my love for that music was always there."
Home was Jamaica where he grew up until he was about eleven years old. In 1948 the family moved to New York City and he recounted that as a teenager he met a Swiss pianist by the name of Phillip Mannel with whom he struck a friendship.
This led to regular expeditions to Sunday concerts at the Brooklyn Museum with his classical musician friend and his brother and thus grew a singular liking for this musical genre as well as opera.
Mr. Bodden described how the piano was the first instrument that he learned to play.
"When I think back in retrospect I am so glad that my mother 'forced' me to play the piano first because I realized how easy it was to play the guitar or any other instrument for that matter, once you have a background in the piano. She promised me that if I learned to play the piano, she would buy me a guitar. So when I was fourteen years old, she bought me my guitar," he said.
Eventually, after about 16 years in New York City, the Bodden family moved to Tampa where the musician-turned-advertiser worked for the Sears Roebuck Suncoast Advertising department until the relocation to Cayman.
He also had his own radio programme "Country Music Memories" on several local radio stations in the Tampa area, as well as special programmes on opera, classical music and composers.
Mr. Bodden spoke warmly about his years in the United States, naming various concerts and shows in which he participated back in the 60s; he said his band "East Country", for example, appeared each summer at the Palisades Park in New Jersey and the Newark Symphony Hall Country Shows. Later on, after his exodus to Florida, he participated at venues such as the Pinallas County Fair, the Tampa Theatre and the Ozark Mountain Music Festival, the latter event leading to annual involvement on his part for 12 years.
One of the highlights of his music career was, he noted, having the opportunity to sing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1968, which he attended with other members of the Northeastern Country Music Association .
As for favourite memories of life in Cayman, Mr. Bodden said: "I will remember going to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman to assist in the church services over there. I am a member of the First Baptist Church so I do get involved in a lot of Christian activities. I will be returning to the Brac again each Sunday during the month of December to participate in their church services there."
He said that he was glad to have had the opportunity of these regular trips to the sister islands, in particular Cayman Brac where he was born and has, since his return, had the chance to re-connect with that island, its people as well as the many relatives who are dispersed throughout the country.
He went on to say that aside from treasuring those moments, he will also look back fondly to the experiences at the radio station as well as the various concerts at which he has performed.
He said that he really enjoyed recording songs with some of the local Caymanian musicians which culminated in a collection of classic country songs entitled "Nothin' As Sweet".
Over the years, Mr. Bodden has accumulated an impressive list of prizes, certificates and awards, including the Florida Country Music Association D.J. Of The Year award, the Florida Boys'Ranch Appreciation award and
The Society For The Preservation Of Early Country And Western Music "Living Legend Award".
He is particularly proud of the recognition he has received on-island. In 1997, Mr. Bodden was granted the Cayman Islands Certificate And Badge of Honour and the Radley Gourzong Heritage Award from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation.
Although Mr. Bodden is officially retiring, he revealed his intention to pursue a range of activities when he moves to Tampa. He said that he plans to become involved in local radio stations and has also been offered part-time work with the Tampa office of Cayman Airways.
The other project which he has itemized on his things-to-do list in Tampa is a hobby which both he and his wife, Reva, have enjoyed in past years.
"Back in the 1970s, my wife and I became very involved in ceramics. We have our own kilns, we do a lot of our own pottery. We like to create things ourselves," he explained.
It would seem that Mr. Bodden will not be bored when he retreats from the working world of Cayman. He conceded that he will certainly not be "sitting down twiddling my thumbs because I'll be doing everything but that".