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The Gleaner's Honour Award - Richie Stephens has a 'Heart of Gold'
published: Tuesday | October 9, 2007
Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
Richard Stephenson
Today we feature another of this year's nominees for the coveted Gleaner Honour Award. We shine the spotlight on the nominee in the category: Entertainment.
Veteran singer Richard Stephenson or 'Richie Stephens', as he is affectionately known to music lovers around the world, is this year's recipient of The Gleaner's Honour Award in the category of entertainment.
Stephens was chosen because of his contribution to entertainment through his music and his outstanding contribution to the less fortunate.
Over the past decade, Stephens has amassed a hit list of songs that have touched the heart and soul of millions.
Songs like, Weakness For Sweetness, By Your Side, Winner and Take Me Away, will always resonate with people no matter the season.
And, after 25 years in the music business, Richie Stephens has accomplished much for himself. He is a household name in Jamaica, was signed to Motown Records and, in addition to now forming his own record label, 'Pot of Gold Records', has recorded and released nearly a dozen albums.
However, given all these achievements, Richie Stephens says, "I think my greatest achievement is the fact that music has put me in a position where I can use my talent and influence to raise funds to give back to the needy
Indeed, Stephens was always one with a humanitarian heart, as he says he knows what it is like to be in need.=
"I'm coming from a community where it was very difficult to survive and growing up like that, things were just tough and I always thought to myself that if the Almighty would bless me to do well for myself, then I would want to come back and give back to my community. So I've been doing this for a number of years now," Stephens said
Boysie nicholson (left) collecting a plaque from sponsor Richie Stephens at the awards ceremony of the Pot of Gold football competition held at the Hotel Commingle earlier this year. Nicholson, the daCosta Cup coach at Frome Technical, was recognised for his contribution to the development of schoolboy football in Westmoreland. The programme is a Richie Stephens initiative. - Dalton Laing/Freelance photographer
Giving back
"The work I've done so far includes the adoption of the Savanna-la-Mar Infirmary, (a home for the aged and homeless that he adopted some seven years ago), running a football league for the past 10 years in Westmoreland and I helped to develop a basic school (Russia Basic School) in my community (Hudson Street) through the Jamaica Social Investment Fund," Stephens said.
And unlike some show promoters who are in the business only to make a personal profit, Richie Stephens says his profit comes in the form of giving back. He says his annual show, 'Take Me Away' will seek to make even bigger donations to charity.
"Take Me Away is a show for charity and I'm now spreading my wings to donate more to the charities in Kingston. We have already made donations from last year's show to the Bustamante Children's Hospital and from the proceeds of this year's show, we are now in the process of making donations to the Denham Town Golden Age Home," he said.
According to Stephens, just being in a position to give to the needy is fulfilment enough for him.
Recipient of the 2006 Governor-General's Achievement Award for the parish of Westmoreland, Richard 'Richie Stephens' Stephenson, receiving his award from Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall, at a ceremony at the Holiday Inn Sun Spree Resort in Montego Bay in September last year. - Photo by Noel Thompson
"It's a wonderful feeling and I can say that during my time I have made a positive contribution to society and making life better for the less fortunate," he said.
Stephens added, "Shaggy, Sean Paul and others have been doing it also and it is not that you have to be rich in order to lend a helping hand, you can give of your time and talent. It's just wonderful to give back, it's not always about money."
Given his kind heart and soulful voice, Stephens has blended the right ingredients to leave an indelible mark on the music industry.
"I would love to make a positive contribution to music, making wholesome, clean, positive music that can be played anywhere and that is how I approach life in general. I have a high standard," Stephens said.
He has not only been able to maintain his high standards while doing "clean, positive music", but has continued to remain relevant and deliver fresh hits at the right times.
The secret to this, he says, is that, "I am always re-inventing myself, coming with different styles of music and the way I dress, and now I'm coming out with some dance music, more up-tempo beats that can be played in the party and people can dance to," Stephens said.
In lending some advice to young and upcoming artistes, the veteran singer says, "bring yuh talent and leave the hype, because hype is something for a time, so forget that and try to develop your craft which is something that you can sustain. The minute you stop working, then your career begins to go down."
teino.evans@gleanerjm.com
published: Tuesday | October 9, 2007
Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
Richard Stephenson
Today we feature another of this year's nominees for the coveted Gleaner Honour Award. We shine the spotlight on the nominee in the category: Entertainment.
Veteran singer Richard Stephenson or 'Richie Stephens', as he is affectionately known to music lovers around the world, is this year's recipient of The Gleaner's Honour Award in the category of entertainment.
Stephens was chosen because of his contribution to entertainment through his music and his outstanding contribution to the less fortunate.
Over the past decade, Stephens has amassed a hit list of songs that have touched the heart and soul of millions.
Songs like, Weakness For Sweetness, By Your Side, Winner and Take Me Away, will always resonate with people no matter the season.
And, after 25 years in the music business, Richie Stephens has accomplished much for himself. He is a household name in Jamaica, was signed to Motown Records and, in addition to now forming his own record label, 'Pot of Gold Records', has recorded and released nearly a dozen albums.
However, given all these achievements, Richie Stephens says, "I think my greatest achievement is the fact that music has put me in a position where I can use my talent and influence to raise funds to give back to the needy
Indeed, Stephens was always one with a humanitarian heart, as he says he knows what it is like to be in need.=
"I'm coming from a community where it was very difficult to survive and growing up like that, things were just tough and I always thought to myself that if the Almighty would bless me to do well for myself, then I would want to come back and give back to my community. So I've been doing this for a number of years now," Stephens said
Boysie nicholson (left) collecting a plaque from sponsor Richie Stephens at the awards ceremony of the Pot of Gold football competition held at the Hotel Commingle earlier this year. Nicholson, the daCosta Cup coach at Frome Technical, was recognised for his contribution to the development of schoolboy football in Westmoreland. The programme is a Richie Stephens initiative. - Dalton Laing/Freelance photographer
Giving back
"The work I've done so far includes the adoption of the Savanna-la-Mar Infirmary, (a home for the aged and homeless that he adopted some seven years ago), running a football league for the past 10 years in Westmoreland and I helped to develop a basic school (Russia Basic School) in my community (Hudson Street) through the Jamaica Social Investment Fund," Stephens said.
And unlike some show promoters who are in the business only to make a personal profit, Richie Stephens says his profit comes in the form of giving back. He says his annual show, 'Take Me Away' will seek to make even bigger donations to charity.
"Take Me Away is a show for charity and I'm now spreading my wings to donate more to the charities in Kingston. We have already made donations from last year's show to the Bustamante Children's Hospital and from the proceeds of this year's show, we are now in the process of making donations to the Denham Town Golden Age Home," he said.
According to Stephens, just being in a position to give to the needy is fulfilment enough for him.
Recipient of the 2006 Governor-General's Achievement Award for the parish of Westmoreland, Richard 'Richie Stephens' Stephenson, receiving his award from Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall, at a ceremony at the Holiday Inn Sun Spree Resort in Montego Bay in September last year. - Photo by Noel Thompson
"It's a wonderful feeling and I can say that during my time I have made a positive contribution to society and making life better for the less fortunate," he said.
Stephens added, "Shaggy, Sean Paul and others have been doing it also and it is not that you have to be rich in order to lend a helping hand, you can give of your time and talent. It's just wonderful to give back, it's not always about money."
Given his kind heart and soulful voice, Stephens has blended the right ingredients to leave an indelible mark on the music industry.
"I would love to make a positive contribution to music, making wholesome, clean, positive music that can be played anywhere and that is how I approach life in general. I have a high standard," Stephens said.
He has not only been able to maintain his high standards while doing "clean, positive music", but has continued to remain relevant and deliver fresh hits at the right times.
The secret to this, he says, is that, "I am always re-inventing myself, coming with different styles of music and the way I dress, and now I'm coming out with some dance music, more up-tempo beats that can be played in the party and people can dance to," Stephens said.
In lending some advice to young and upcoming artistes, the veteran singer says, "bring yuh talent and leave the hype, because hype is something for a time, so forget that and try to develop your craft which is something that you can sustain. The minute you stop working, then your career begins to go down."
teino.evans@gleanerjm.com