Eric Minns

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BIO

Photo courstesy of Mary Cook
Eric Minns was born in Nassau, Bahamas. He started a show-business career as half of the comedy team BILL and SAM, which played most of the local nightspots at the time. Branching out as a musician-singer he started writing songs, mainly with other singers in mind, though he has recorded some of his own songs.

Eric’s first hit song in the Bahamas was King Eric and His Knights’ recording of FOX-HILL GAL, which came out of the admiration that both Erics had for each other. It became an instant hit and won 3 Thimothy Awards in 1976, for best calypso song, calypso group, and song writer.
Sir Clement Maynard, Former Minister of Tourism wrote the following foreword for Eric Minn’s Song book:
“Mr. Minns comes from a well-known island family whose roots and heritage are deep in the Bahamian tradition of cultural activity. His melodic songs will tell you more about The Bahamas than many a travel guide.
In listening to and enjoying his songs, I have found him to possess unusual ability to create both past and present Bahamian experiences quite vividly. Eric has done much to capture the spirit of The Bahamas in his songs, which fully grasp our cultural awakening. His efforts help preserve in words and music the haunting beauty of the islands and the joyous, earthy humour and naturally colourful expression of grassroot Bahamians.”

Achievements

1976	song - Fox Hill Gal (3 Timothy Awards: top calypso song, group and writer)
1977	song - Island Boy (title song from King Eric's album)
1978	song - Take the Man from Out of the Island
1979	Song book - Seven Hit Songs of the Bahamas
1980	first novel - Island Boy
1981	song - If You Can't find Ya Friends In Nassau (they're in Freeport or in jail) - Sonny Johnson
1982	song - Back to the Family Islands
1983	song - Once Is Not Enough song - Thank Goodness It's Friday first album - Songs of the Bahamas THE BAHAMAS NATIONAL TOURISM AWARD
1984	original Bahamian musical - Island Boy song - Get a Taste of the Islands
1985	first play - Rev
1986	song - Headache and Flu
1987	song - I'm Coming Home for Junkanoo This Year second album - Christmas In the Bahamas BAHAMAS MUSICIANS AND ENTERTAINERS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
1990	third album - Columbus Day (produced for Quincentennial Celebration for 1992)
1991	acting lessons (O'Leary School of Drama - Toronto)
1992	song - We're Gonna Go to Santo Domingo (for Quincentennial flyout to Dominican Republic)
1993	original Bahamian musical - Happy Birthday Columbus song - Island Boy featured in the Walt Disney movie My Father the Hero
1994	song - If You Can't Find your Friends In Nassau used in Dundas Theatre production of Susan Wallace's play Single Seven
1996	song - Buy Bahamian
1997	art exhibition of Historic Bahamian buildings in pen and ink song - Let's go Junkanoo Smithsonian recording of You Ain't Hurryin' Me - Dicey Dohs
1998	song - Pinder What ya Doin' Here - Dry Bread
1999	second printing - novel - Island Boy
2000	Barabas features Fox Hill Gal in New Years Junkanoo parade
2001	song - Ol' Sayings - Ronnie Butler
2002	Released CD (21 Bahamian Calypso Classics) Words & Music by Eric Minns
2003	Inducted into Love 97 FM Radio's Hall of Fame. see photos songs - "Sunday Christian" and "How Junkanoo Began" pen and ink drawing of St-Matthews Anglican Church, used as artwork for "First Day Cover" of St-Mathews postage stamp series, honoring their 200th anniversary. song "Sunday Christian" ranked No. 13 on Island FM Radio's Most requested song.
2004	Cacique Award for Creative Arts by Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Released CD (Sunday Christian) November 2004 Appears in Bahamian Legends - Volume 1 -2004 published by Jones Communications Int'l Ltd.
2005	second novel - Who killed Sir Harry? (See Press Release) song - Who killed Sir Harry?
2007	book - Did Ya hear the one about the guy from Spanish Wells - hundreds of the bet Spanish Wells jokes you ever heard
2008	book - Did Ya hear the one about the guy from Spanish Wells - Volume II Song book - Songs of the Bahamas - Music and Lyrics CD compilation: Christmas in The Bahamas
2009	book - You know you're getting old when... BIFF (Bahamas International Film Festival) - 2 movies used my music; the films were: "CHILDREN OF GOD" and "FREE SWIM"
2010	Art Show (see Photo Gallery)
2011	book - Things that puzzle me songs - "Pirates still here" (See Youtube) and "Bahamian Gal"
2012	song - How Rake & Scrape Began (Watch on YouTube)
2013	song - (Christmas) Shopping in Miami
2014	ISLAND BOY – the musical (work in progress) Visit website

and.... who knows what next?
last update: May 2014

Music

Recordings:

Christmas in The Bahamas - 2008

Compilation CD (21 Bahamian Calypso Classics) available at Josephine's Treasures on Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas

Sunday Christian - 2004	see Article from Tribune November 2004 and What's On - December 2004

Columbus Day - 1990

Christmas in The Bahamas - 1987


Eric Minn’s Songs of The Bahamas - 1983

Contact Information

Box N652, Nassau, Bahamas
Phone: (242) 323-2944 Fax: (242) 364-5520 or
910-1210 Radom Street, Pickering, ON L1W 2Z3, Canada
Phone: (905) 839-1395 Fax: (905) 837-9319
email: lauric@idirect.com or laurictc@yahoo.com

Press/Picture Gallery

2004 Cacique Award for Creative Arts by Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

Eric Minns with King Eric and His Knights (circa 1976)	Eric and Ronnie Butler	Eric and Peanuts Taylor	Eric and John Chipman

Love 97's "Hall of Fame" Expo 2003 (all photos by Peter Ramsay)


		Tribune Jan 10, 2003	Expo 2002

Books

2008 Song book - Songs of the Bahamas

2009 - You know you're getting old when...	2011 - Things that puzzle me

2007 - 2008 - Did Ya hear the one about the guy from Spanish Wells -
hundreds of the best Spanish Wells jokes you ever heard - Vol I and II

1980 first novel - Island Boy	2005 - Who killed Sir Harry?

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