Lord Melody
| Lord Melody | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Fitzroy Alexander |
| Born | 1926 San Fernando, Trinidad |
| Died | 26 September 1988 (aged 62) Trinidad |
| Occupation(s) | Calypsonian |
| Years active | Early 1940s – mid-1980s |
| Labels | Cook |
Lord Melody (1926 – 26 September 1988) was a popular calypsonian, best known for singles such as "Boo Boo Man", "Creature From The Black Lagoon", "Shame & Scandal", "Jonah and the Bake", "Juanita", and "Rastaman Be Careful". Melody's career spanned forty years, from the beginnings of popular calypso music to his embrace of the more dance oriented Soca style by the late 1970s.
Melody was born Fitzroy Alexander at San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, raised at an orphanage in Port of Spain, and met Alwyn Roberts (soon to become better known as Lord Kitchener) after moving to Arima while still in his teens. Roberts took him under his wing and they returned to Port of Spain, where Lord Kitchener became the leading calypso star, with Melody one of his main challengers. His popularity increased locally when Lord Kitchener emigrated to England in 1947. Melody's career started in the 1940s with performances in calypso tents, and he continued to perform in this and other venues in the Caribbean until the 1960s. His early successes included "Berlin on a Donkey", mocking Adolf Hitler, and "Boo Boo Man" first recorded in 1955 and released on several record labels. His rendition of "Second Spring" won him the Calypso Monarch title in 1954 and he signed with Cook Records in 1956.
He was one of the six vocalists chosen to perform for Princess Margaret when she visited Trinidad in 1956.
His first known album was Calypso Fiesta - Limbo In Trinidad, which was released in 1956 on Vitadisc records and contained eight songs, including his popular "Mama Look A Boo Boo". Another album, Calypso Carnival 1958, was released on Balisier records in 1958. It was a split release - the first side contained six Lord Melody songs (some of which did not appear elsewhere), and the second side comprised instrumental tracks by Cyril Diaz (whose band usually backed Melody on his recordings).
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