Eric Gibson (M.B.E.), the leader of the band had no interest in music as a child, although he came from a very musical family. As a young man, he went on contract as a farm laborer in the southern United States like many of the men during the 1940’s and 1950’s. Eric recalls being called on to provide musical accompaniment for his co-workers, simply because of his Gibson name which had become synonymous with music. In fact, the island of Acklins where he was born is well known for its strong musical heritage and has produced many of the finest musicians in the Bahamas.

In the early days, small combos were formed to perform at lodge halls for special events. One such band consisted of Eric Gibson, Leroy 'Duke' Hanna, Carl 'Flash' Rogers, Lord Cody, and Charlie Smith. The name commonly used for these combos was 'Eric & The Boys'.

In 1957, Hubert Pinder invited Eric to perform in the evenings at the Captain Kid club on Bay Street. There Everett Henfield and Bahamian great Ronnie Butler would...