Quiet Fire, a reggae, Latin jazz, and R&B ensemble which emerged as one of the premier groups in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was founded by teenagers attending Croix Central High and St. Joseph’s Catholic high schools on St. Croix Island. They began as the Soul Busters in 1967.
The original members (with dates of birth) were leader/principal trumpeter Claude Louis Richards Jr. (January 2, 1950), trumpeter Neal “Panta” Carrington (November 2, 1952), bass guitarist/vocalist Devin Francis Carrington (March 13, 1954), piano/vocalist Daryl Anthony Richards Sr. (December 16, 1955), guitarist Ronald E. Russell (born June 10, 1954), Ray “Haseen” Iles congas (March 19, 1951); Delroy “Deli” Iles, congas (September 4, 1948); Roy Delemos on the alto saxophone (November 30, 1950), Renholdt “Rookie” Jackson, tenor saxophone (September 13, 1949), Raymond “Hoofa” Richards, composer/vocalist/percussionist, trombonist Antoine L. Joseph (November 11, 1952), and percussionist/vocalist Robert Ernest “Bobby” Richards (April 20, 1954). They originally performed rhythm and blues and Caribbean covers principally.
In 1978, the Soul Busters changed their name to Quiet Fire and the following year recorded their debut studio album, Tropical Depression. The band did two follow-up albums. The work was recorded in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Ochoa Recording Studios.
In 1984 Quiet Fire’s music composition “Frederiksted” was selected from musical competitions at Island Center for the Performing Arts as the Road March song for the annual Three Kings Day celebration, better known as St. Croix’s Crucian Christmas Festival.
The Virgin Islands government sponsored Quiet Fire to represent the territory at the Cartagena Festival Internacional de Música del Caribe, in Cartagena, Colombia, in 1984 and 1985.
In 2006 Quiet Fire, as a four-member group, was still performing and appeared at the 7th Annual Sunset Jazz Festival at Fort Frederick Beach Park, hosted by the Frederiksted Economic Development Association Inc. in St. Croix, Virgin Islands.
While Quiet Fire’s history was primarily as a band, its original members singularly and collectively impacted the Virgin Islands’ cultural and political scene. Ronald E. Russell is a former senator in the V.I. Legislature. Daryl Anthony Richards is a retired school principal in the V.I.; Renholdt “Rookie” Jackson is a retired V.I. police officer. Delroy “Deli” Iles retired as an air traffic controller for Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
Some members have moved to the United States. Antoine E. Joseph Jr. is a professor of history at Bryant University, Rhode Island. Claude Louis Richards Jr. resides in Orlando, Florida. Roy Delemos lives in Nyack, New York. Seven of the original members are still entertaining as freelance musicians.
Otis D. Alexander, Library Director at Saint John Vianney College Seminary & Graduate School in Miami, Florida, has also directed academic and public libraries in the District of Columbia, Indiana, Texas, and Virginia. In addition, he has been a library manager in the Virgin Islands of the United States as well as in the Republic of Liberia. His research has appeared in Public Library Quarterly, Scribner’s Encyclopedia of American Lives, and Virginia Libraries journal. Alexander received the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from the University of the District of Columbia and the Master of Library & Information Science degree from Ball State University. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from International University and studied additionally at Harvard Graduate School of Education Leadership for Academic Librarians, Oberlin Conservatory of Music Voice Performance Pedagogy, and Atlanta University School of Library & Information Studies.
