Ewart 'Second Chance' Blake. - Contributed

Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

Many will say it was the best thing to have ever happened when they became a Christian. They say they have had a rebirth and are on the way to heaven.

Most Christians maintain that you cannot be lost once you are saved. Unfortunately, some Christians fall by the wayside or, as Jamaicans put it, 'tun back'.

Ewart 'Second Chance' Blake had his moments of rebellion and his return to the fold is like the story of the Prodigal Son.

"It was just like a falling-out with your household and you just move on. It was not a choice, but a predicament. I was out at the club dancing, partying and having a good time and it was just like a light shine down on my shoes and my pants. It's like He was telling me those are the same shoes and pants I used to minister in," Second Chance said.

Second Chance said he had a revelation and he left the club immediately and ran three miles home in New York's blistering cold. After all, this was not his regular way of life. Second Chance was born in Clarendon and grew up going to church. The music there was great and he fell in love with the beat at an early age, the love continuing through high school. The time came when the United States seemed like it had more to offer, so he migrated in 1989.

Local church groups

Music was still his love and by attending the Berean Church of God in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, he began to feel more comfortable on stage. Second Chance sang in local church groups, the community and in other local area churches. This built his confidence and helped him to produce his first album, Mission Fi God, in 1998, with his group, The Blake Band.

"My greatest problems were with production and getting financial support from the people around me. It was a time when, even the church reggae gospel, was taking a hit," Second Chance said.

While that period is not entirely behind him, he is making strides on the scene. His sophomore album won the Hopeton Lewis Award for Best New Male Caribbean/ American Artist of the year. He has performed in Puerto Rico. The Bahamas, Canada and around the United States.

The Lord inspired Second Chance to go to another level by facing major changes and experiences in his life which helped, matured and encouraged him to write songs on a deeper and more spiritual level. In January this year, he met Dale Virgo, a young producer who was impressed with his talent and produced his soon-to-be-released third album, Walk Gud.

The Lord has been blessing Blake's life, his ministry, his wife Yvonne and their three daughters, Alexia, Sophia, and Denise. He and his family live in Ft Lauderdale and Second Chance now works as a office manager while juggling music on what he calls a "full-time part-time" basis.