Rick James (10 October 1939 – 24 September 2018) was an Antiguan actor, politician, journalist and mas pioneer.

Early life

He began his education at Moravian School and continued on to Princess Margaret School. Involved with the 1st Antigua Scout Troop Anglican, James first left his home country to attend the 8th

World Scout Jamboree The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting Jamboree (Scouting), jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17. At the jamboree, many scouts sw ...

in 1955 as a

Queen's Scout A King's Scout (also known as Queen's Scout during the reign of Elizabeth II) is a Scout (Scouting), Scout who has attained the King's Scout Award. The King's Scout Award is the highest youth award achievable in the Scouting movement in the Com ...

.The Eulogy of George "Rick" James – The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda
/ref> An amateur enthusiast, he entered the Carnival mas as a designer, presenting The Remnants of Rome at the first Summer Carnival in 1957. James went on to win Band of the Year in 1962 with Interplanetary Flag Wavers and again in 1963 with Atlantis Revellers, making him the first back to back winner of the prize. 1961 was an important year for James. Travelling to Trinidad, he represented Antigua at the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

in the 100-yard sprint. Now a Master Scout, he also attended the 2nd Caribbean Scout Jamboree

Acting

That same year, James secured a scholarship to study in the United States. Moving to San Francisco, he took up studies at Adult High School. A subsequent move to Los Angeles saw him enrol in acting school, studying under the tutelage of

James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series ''Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottish chief engineer of t ...

. Rick made his Hollywood debut in the West Coast Premiere of ''

Blood Knot ''Blood Knot'' is an early play by South African playwright, actor, and director Athol Fugard. Its single-performance premier was in 1961 in Johannesburg, South Africa, with the playwright and Zakes Mokae playing the brothers Morris and Zacharia ...

'' produced and directed by

Frank Silvera Frank Alvin Silvera (July 24, 1914 – June 11, 1970) was a Jamaican-born American character actor and theatrical director. Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Boston, Silvera dropped out of law school in 1934 after winning his first stage ...

in 1965. Moving to England, James resumed his career in the theatre, appearing in the West End (''Sit Quietly on the Bollard'' and ''Shack-Shack'') and Royal Exchange (''Detective Story'') before moving into television. He appeared in an episode of ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'', two ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

''s and ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' (the 6-part serial '' The Mutants''). The actor was even offered a bit part in a James Bond movie (possibly '' Live and Let Die'') but ultimately turned it down, having auditioned for a more substantial role. Realising that he was not being taken seriously as an actor, James decided on a different career path. By the-mid 1970s, he became an operator for

British Telecom BT Group plc (formerly British Telecom) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-li ...

, during which he became acquainted with a woman from Germany called Rita Jansen. They married in 1985 and the following year gave birth to a son, Sven. A return to acting in the 1980s saw Rick appear in the penultimate episode of ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first series, prod ...

'' entitled "Warlord" and various stage productions. During these years, Rick wrote his first column for Tim Hector's Outlet Newspaper in Antigua about his experiences abroad, keeping in touch with his roots. Missing his homeland, James decided to move back there with his family in 1989.

Politics

Returning home, the actor started his own theatre ensemble, playing short plays with small casts at beach hotels. James hoped to improve lives in his home country. When away acting, it was to put Antigua on the map. When entering politics, it was to make a difference at home. In August 1991, James founded the Free and Fair Elections League and served as its secretary up until his death. In 1999, he led the Antigua Freedom Party and contested the 1999 general elections but did not win the St. John's Rural East seat, losing to Lester Bird. Over the years, he filed numerous election petitions in the High Court with his League conducting mock elections ahead of General Elections in his homeland.

Death

On 18 September 2018, James checked himself into Mount St. John's Medical Centre, complaining of feeling unwell. He died less than a week later at 6 am on 24 September 2018, of

multiple organ failure Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring immediate medical intervention. There are different stages of organ dysfunction for certain different organs, both in acute and in chronic ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:James, Rick 1939 births 2018 deaths Antigua and Barbuda activists Antigua and Barbuda politicians Deaths from multiple organ failure Antigua and Barbuda male actors