"King" Eric Gibson was a Bahamian musician and entrepreneur. He was also the semiofficial Ambassador of Bahamian Goodwill. Gibson was born on the small island of

Acklins Acklins is an island and district of the Bahamas. It is one of a group of islands arranged along a large, shallow lagoon called the Bight of Acklins, of which the largest are Crooked Island () in the north and Acklins () in the southeast, and ...

to a musical family, although he did not pursue music until his adulthood. After leading several musical acts in the 1950s, Gibson formed King Eric & His Knights around 1957, which specialized in a modernized style of

calypso music Calypso is a style of Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from Afro-Trinidadians during the early- to mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles by the mid-20th century. Its rhythms can be traced back ...

, a type of Caribbean folk music that received worldwide recognition when American singer

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

released the album '' Calypso'' in 1956. King Eric & His Knights enjoyed immediate popularity among tourists in

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Austria * Nassau (Groß Sankt Florian), incorporated village of Groß Sankt Florian Bahamas *Nassau, The Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upp ...

, almost certainly due to their performances of the Calypso folksongs made famous by Belafonte. The band regularly performed at nightclubs and hotels, where their records (often in high demand by both tourists and locals) could be purchased in the gift shop. In 1966, Gibson opened a recording studio to support other native Bahamian musicians. While the lineup of the Knights continued to rotate, King Eric & His Knights remained a popular musical staple in Nassau, often headlining music festivals. In 1973, Gibson formed the "King & Knights Club", a nightclub that not only featured the band, but a variety show that included

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

-style entertainment such as fire juggling and limbo dancing. It was renamed "The Blue Note" in 2006. King Eric & His Knights also enjoyed popularity outside of the Bahamas, touring in North America and Australia. While the international appeal of calypso music has dwindled in recent times, Gibson remained a successful entertainer and businessman in Nassau. He was active in the

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...

and maintained a successful racing sloop; he also owned an Italian-Bahamian restaurant. Gibson and his common law wife, Brigitte Neven, were in Florida at the time of

Anna Nicole Smith Vickie Lynn Marshall (née Hogan; November 28, 1967 – February 8, 2007), known professionally as Anna Nicole Smith, was an American model, actress, and television personality. Smith started her career as a ''Playboy'' magazine centerfold in M ...

's death. They were invited guests of Anna Nicole, and were among the first to arrive when she began to exhibit signs of trouble. Gibson died in Nassau, on December 28, 2013, aged 79.

Partial King Eric & His Knights discography

*''BAMA Hit Parade'' (1960) *''Calypso Encores'' (with

Ronnie Butler Prince Ronald Butler Sr., MBE (August 17, 1937 – November 19, 2017) was a Bahamian calypso and rake-and-scrape entertainer and singer. Butler was often referred to as "The Godfather of Bahamian Music" and his career spanned more than five dec ...

) (1962) *''King Eric & His Knights at the Big Bamboo'' (1964) *''Paging King Eric & His Knights'' (1964) *''Checkmate'' (1966?) *''All Time Favourites Calipsos'' ic(1966?) *''Emerald Beach Plantation'' (1971) *''Bahama Goombay Summer'' (1972) *''Live at the King & Knights Club'' (1974?) HYP RECORDS/Vinyl Safari: Calypso
/ref> *''Island Boy'' (1978)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Eric Year of birth missing 2013 deaths Bahamian singers Bahamian calypsonians Entertainers from Nassau, Bahamas People from Acklins

Partial King Eric & His Knights discography

See also

References