Tyrone Reid
Staff Reporter
THE COMICAL
gospel singer Gerry Thompson's 'split
persona' one a 'yardie' and the other who sported a foreign accent was on display on Saturday night at the Jamaica Evangelical Association building on Caledonia Road in Mandeville, Manchester.
The vintage-voiced singer, who resides in Canada, turned in a beautiful performance that had the patrons eating out of the palms of his hands. His voice was reminiscent to that of the famed Jimmy Swaggart. His selections were 'old school' gospel anthems that grandma and grandpa used to play. These included Heaven Sounding Sweeter, One Day At A Time and He Walks With Me, amongst others.
The selections from the country and western-styled singer, who came clad in a black jacket suit and a cowboy hat to top it off, ensured that inside the venue had a cozy feel as opposed to wet and soggy outside. During his stint he called up a certain young man by the name of Clayton Campbell, a former gang banger who testified that Gerry Thompson helped to change his life. The comical singer had the audience in stitches as he rapped with them during certain intervals for track changes.
HIGH GEAR
At 10:30 p.m., the solemn tempo shifted into high gear. It was the final leg of his more than hour-long performance, which also served as the time for collecting donations. Thompson's hat was used as the collecting plate. The person that donated the most money was going to receive six of Thompson's CDs. This was where the soap opera began.
After the frenzied medley segment the largest donation was $1,000, but Thompson was determined to squeeze a little more out of the pockets of the patrons for the sake of the seemingly-worthy cause. He started the bidding in the customary tone sported by auctioneers. He was successful as he got a pledge of $1,500 from an elderly lady, who thought that she had bagged the CDs. Still, Thompson urged for a higher bid and as the fat lady was about to sing, a younger lady in the audience made a bid of $2,000. The elderly lady was so peeved that she shrugged her shoulders and 'fanned' of Thompson and made her way down the aisle and subsequently left the building not
looking too pleased.
At the end of the day, they were able to raise $14, 972. The event was staged by the Community Counselling and Restorative Justice Centre and it marked their inaugural fund-raising effort. Although several pews to the rear church were empty, it had a healthy turnout, which also aided the committee's purse earned on the night.
Earlier in the night there were performances by Neva Mercier, Sonia Spence, Nichole Robinson-Arkins and PHACE. The curtains were dropped on the night's proceedings with the singing of the National Anthem.
PHOTOS BY CARLINGTON WILMOT/Freelance Photographer
Patrons at the Gerry Thompson show in Mandeville, Manchester, over the weekend taking part in an impromptu auction.
