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UPDATE: Its official! Showtime band has broken up!
At the time Mr. Peart was speaking to both band manager Ottley Hodge and lead singer Raul ‘Juggo’ Sprauve. Mr. Hodge confirmed to the listening audience that “the band has broken up.” He said there were many ongoing issues that led to the break up but refused to go into anymore details.
Meanwhile, when Mr. Hodge was on air, lead singer and businessman Mr. Sprauve called in the morning ride show and also confirmed the split and said he was no longer a part of Showtime but has formed his own band called VI Showtime. He claimed part of the issue that lead to the break up of the band is that the “business portion of the operation was not right…it’s a business.”
Mr. Sprauve aka ‘Juggo’ did not return calls up to press time. Meanwhile, another popular band member Eustace Freeman aka 'Boss' also called into the show and confirmed the break up and made an appeal to Mr. Sprauve to sit and talk about the issues. Mr. Freeman told the radio show “showtime band is not what it’s supposed to be, as there needs to be a manager who everyone respects.”
Show host Paul Peart seemed very disappointed in the official word and the new dynamics of two bands, Showtime and VI Showtime and called on them to put aside their differences and work together. He also called on the Minister for Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn to intervene in the matter.
See original story posted on this subject:
Showtime band faces turmoil! Has the band split?
- Three members have allegedly left the band
Word reaching this news site from its team of reporters is that the Virgin Islands number 1 band and 6 times Tortola Road March Champion, Showtime, has allegedly experienced about three members leaving the band.
The three members reportedly include a key board player and two singers, including the lead singer of the band Raul ‘Juggo’ Sprauve. The position of another popular singer Eustace Freeman aka 'Boss' is not known.
Members are tight-lipped about the issue and band manager Ottley Hodge told this news site that he had no comments. This news site understands that a few weeks ago the band had a meeting to try to resolve the issues; however, it is unclear what the outcome of the meeting was.
A source close to the situation told this news site that individual members of the band are accepting bookings to perform but it’s unknown, if they are doing so under the band’s name.
Over a year ago the band had experienced another split when a new band was form inside the band named Showtime HD, however, the differences were resolved and the band had gotten back together.
In September of this year, the Manager of the Showtime band, Roger Frank resigned from the band. He resigned to move on and it was a mutual parting agreed on by all parties concerned. This story was broken by this news site.
It’s also this news site’s understanding that the band has been booked as the entire band to perform at the Digicel (BVI) 4 G launching scheduled for this month.
Band History- the rise to the top
Over the past 10 years Showtime Band has risen in popularity with good and clean music. They have won the Road March title for the last six years in a row at the Tortola Emancipation festival celebration.
The band is also popular overseas and plays all across the region and in the United States.
In August of this year the band again scored big when they made the Virgin Islands proud by capturing the award for ‘Best Overall Soca Band of the Year’ at the International Soca Award Show held in New York City. They competed with last year’s album, "The Journey", for the title alongside Machel Montano (T&T), Respeck Band (St. Maarten), Kes The Band (T&T), Krosfyah (Barbados) and Small Axe Band (St. Kitts).
International Award brought praises from the people
After the band’s international award win, the Showtime band members were greeted by hundreds of fans at the Terence B. Lettsome International Airport, along with a motorcade, when they returned to these shores.
Their win in New York City also caught the attention of the Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn, who congratulated the Showtime Band and thanked the group for constantly delivering clean lyrics and songs.
Speaking in the House of Assembly on September 3, 2012 the Minister stated that the Band’s win was in no way a small feat: “I want to congratulate the Showtime Band, I don’t know Madam Speaker if you got the news, but Showtime Band on Friday in New York won the best overall soca band of the year. Madam Speaker, that is no small award; because they came up against some big bands in the Caribbean. For them to get this award Madam Speaker, I think it is worthy of commendation. It shows that our young people are destined for great things; and if we had the support mechanisms in place, as I said before, we can get even greater.”
Last week a local radio talk show host Paul ‘Gadiethz’ Peart on his morning ride show aired on ZROD 103.7 FM also announced that he had heard “the long time band had split and some members were now taking bookings to perform on their own.”
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71 Responses to “UPDATE: Its official! Showtime band has broken up!”
im going 2 miss Showtime SO much they have been part of my life since they started back in the days
The reason is MONEY!!
A member of the Band took all the money when his song won Road March in the past. When another band member song won Road March he took all the money too.
I personally think that any money won should be split down the middle because no song can win without the Singer, Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, Horns, Rhythm Box etc.
No one person should take all the money because his song won Road March!
To the other bands like xtreeme and the smaller banDs that gets no attention- TIME TO UP YOUR GAME, USE THIS BREAKUP AS A TIME TO LEARN FROM THE COMPETITION AND BE THE NUMBER 1 NEXT YEAR
can some one tell these losers finaly F** Off, could this week get any better?
What we must understand that the continued exposure of Show time to international and regional audiences allow them to continue to develop their art form. This put them ahead of the other bands in the BVI.
I just hope that they work out whatever the issues are for the good of the BVI and the many fans!!!!!
Then it seems like if you don't sing about putting up yuh flag or hand or pushing George bush, you aren't going to win.
you hit it on the nail