National icon Holly Betaudier, 91, fondly known as Holly B and the Arima Kid, has died.
He reportedly passed away at around 11.15 pm on Sunday at his Glencoe home. Confirming the tragic news yesterday, Betaudier’s son Holly Junior said his father recently contracted the virus which had “taken a toll.”
An autopsy is expected to be performed today.
Declaring that the father of five had lived a full and generous life, Holly Jr said: “He’s done so much for so many people throughout his career.”
Recalling Holly B’s love for show-business and his desire to highlight genuine talent, Holly Jr said his father was the founder and original host of Scouting for Talent which began airing on the country’s lone television station at the time, Trinidad and Tobago Television Company (TTT).
Holly, who was an avid parang lover and music aficionado had been hosting talent shows and community caravans long before he began his television career.
Holly B’s love for local culture began during his childhood days in Arima. He became involved in media and entertainment in the 1940’s at the US Armed Forces radio service network and moved to television when TTT was inaugurated in 1962.
Recalling those early days in an interview some years ago, Holly said: “Before the station signed on, to me television was the forbidden fruit.
“I say this because all my radio colleagues were going to America on vacation to observe what television was like in big countries. I recall Don Proudfoot, returning from the USA with pastel-coloured suits as he said he was told the warm-tones would be ideal for television lighting.
“Others had various techniques that they learned from media classes abroad. I was comfortable in “radioland” with a programme, Holly’s Happy Moments, that I started in 1946 on the US Armed Forces radio service network—WVDI in Fort Reid, Trinidad.
“At that time, WVDI mainly serviced the armed forces throughout the Caribbean.”
As news spread of Holly B’s passing yesterday, several people took to Facebook to extend condolences to the family, with some recalling their favourite memories of the media veteran.
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) also posted a brief statement which read: “We extend heartfelt condolences to the family of Holly Betaudier and to the artistic community of Trinidad and Tobago on his passing last night.
“Mr Betaudier, a quintessential television and radio broadcaster, producer and impresario, contributed in unquantifiable measure to the most positive aspects of our culture.
“We offer special condolences to the parang musicians with whom he worked passionately and tirelessly and also to former TTT staff who will feel his loss in a deeply personal way.”
POLITICIANS PAY TRIBUTE
Public Administration and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie said: “I had the pleasure of serving with Holly on the executive of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) and can attest to his dedication to professionalism and his love of the Trinidad and Tobago which he dedicated his life to improving. He will truly be missed.”
Cuffie said Holly career was “marked by his love for media and his love for culture and all things Trinidad and Tobago.”
He said: “Blessed with eloquence and a gift for electronic media, he used his gifts to develop an unprecedented body of work around the promotion of local culture, particularly parang which he loved.
“His love and dedication to his craft was evident to the very end. He was well loved and will be sadly missed by his listening audiences, the Arima community, his family and the country as a whole.”
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar described Holly as “a giant in the world of media who devoted his lifetime to the exposure and uplifting of our culture.”
Recalling his own account of how he eventually got on air, Persad-Bissessar said Holly was responsible for “discovering” personalities such as Poser, Sugar Aloes, Protector, Chalkdust, Singing Francine, Denyse Plummer and Crusoe Kid.
“Holly’s cultural work was delivered with sincerity and a passion to use media to build bridges in our multi-cultural nation.”
Adding that the nation owed him a debt of gratitude as his love for culture had made the country richer, Persad-Bissessar said few persons had come close to emulating Betaudier’s efforts at nation building.
“He will remain immortal as a true patriot who always put country first.”