Little did David Frost imagine, as a young boy growing up in Pembroke and playing in the North Village Band, that one day he would be honoured by the Queen. In fact, when the Cabinet Office rang to ask if he would accept the Queen's Certificate and Badge of Honour in her golden jubilee birthday honours, he misunderstood the inquiry and initially directed the caller to the ticket hotline for the Sanchez concert he was promoting!

Now that he has had time to take the recognition in, Mr. Frost admits he is "very pleased" that his work both as a concert promoter and someone who works with the youth, has been recognised.

"The fact that it comes in the Queen's golden jubilee year makes it even better," he says.

The promoter's association with music and entertainment began as first a drummer and then a bugler in the North Village band under the direction of Mr. Leslie Young, when he participated in many Easter parades. At age 17 he volunteered for the Bermuda Regiment, and when his time was served, he then volunteered to be in the band, where he played drums and cornet.

"We played fanfare drums and beat retreats, Queen's birthday parades, and also performed in Jamaica three times during the annual Regiment camps," he says. "I liked being in the band, and I would say it has come a long way. Back then we played strictly military music - mostly marches - but now the Regiment has expanded to include a concert band, a marching band, and an orchestra, which makes it more interesting for young people who want to get into the Regiment."

In fact, Mr. Frost wholeheartedly supports regimental duty.

"Being in the Regiment and in the band helps to discipline you, and teach you to respect any orders you are given," he says. After seven years with the band, it was time for a change, and he joined the Prison Service, where he remained for 23 years.

"I dealt with all of the utility areas - laundry, kitchen, stores, gatekeeper," Mr. Frost says. "Most of my work was at Casemates, which was quite an experience. In fact, if you could survive Casemates, you could survive anything!"

Looking back, the former prison officer feels that Casemates should have been retained as a training centre for officers, and also a deterrent centre for young men incarcerated for the first time. Of course, it wasn't all work and no play during his years at the west end prison. As a member of the prison officers' entertainment committee Mr. Frost organised a variety of social events, such as cocktail parties and cruises, the latter including big name international entertainers. In fact, it was a friendly argument with a superior officer that set him on the road to being a promoter. "Roland Pearman was a jazz fanatic, and he told me I wouldn't be able to Jimmy Smith to Bermuda. A young lady named Sheree Smith Outerbridge formed a company with me called Champagne Productions, and we brought him to Bermuda for a show at the Southampton Princess on Valentine's Day. That was my first major venture as a promoter, and the place was sold out."

In fact, Champagne Productions brought the world famous electronic organist to Bermuda a second time, but less happily.

"Smith was one of the most exciting artists we've ever brought here," Mr. Frost says. "'During his first visit he was accompanied by his wife Lola, who kept him under control, but the second time she wasn't with him and it was disastrous. He partied hard, and didn't give the same sort of concert performance he had the first time. In fact, he hurt a lot of his friends in Bermuda at the time."

The next big venture for Champagne Productions was a black tie evening at the Bermudiana Hotel which featured saxophonist Houston Pearson and his band and singer Etta James.

While things were going well for the promoters, they knew their knowledge of jazz was limited, so it was decided to have Derek (CJ) Symons and Everard Davis join them.

"They were brought in to assist with some of the artists that we should bring in, and we went on to stage people like organists Charles Earlind, Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff," Mr. Frost says. "Then the jazz fans were getting upset because they wanted to hear sax, drums and different instruments, so we started bringing in other artists like saxophonist Hank Crawford and drummer Jimmy Cobbs."

When the Malcolm X movie opened here, Champagne Productions brought in Terrance Blancher and his band, who had played the sound track, and they were at the Southampton Princess.

"They were very exciting and professional," Mr. Frost says. "Later, we worked with the TB & Cancer Association and brought in singer Peabo Bryson." A subsequent meeting in Chicago with the late saxophonist Stanley Turrentine led to more shows over time, all of them featuring internationally renowned artists, including keyboard player Herbie Hancock, bassist Stanley Jordan, and saxophonist Grover Washington.

In fact, the Turrentine connection with Mr. Frost and Bermuda is still alive. Although the musician died on his way here to perform two years ago, his fellow musicians continued on with the event, and Mr. Frost is still in touch with Mrs. Turrentine about future events.

When interest in jazz waned, the hotel scene changed, and local musicians were busy playing for the tourists, Champagne Productions decided to wind up. Six years ago, Mr. Frost formed a new promotion company, Treble Clef Productions (TCP), which initially focussed on soca shows and cruises, and where many of the people who assisted him in the former company have continued on. TCP recently held a boxing night at the Southampton Princess, and last weekend staged Poncho Sanchez and his band at the same venue, both of which were great successes. And there's more to come.

"Our next production will be at White Hill field on July 31, when we will have one of the biggest soca shows ever to come to Bermuda," the promoter says. "It will include three bands, including Crossfire, and nine artists including MacFingall, Red Plastic Bag, Kevin White and Sayne Bailey, who are from Trinidad and St. Lucia. It's going to be our pre-100th Cup Match celebration."

While all the big name artists Mr. Frost has brought in over the years have gone down well with local audiences, being the promoter is not without its stresses as there are so many unexpected problems which can arise. The sudden death of Mr. Turrentine on the eve of his band's arrival here for a second show two years ago is a case in point. Fortunately, after an agonising overnight dilemma, the musicians generously decided to fly in, and the show went ahead as planned. On another occasion, an artist missed the plane and arrived at the airport as the band went on stage. A frantic dash to the venue left the audience none the wiser about the near miss. Small wonder, then, that even after 20 years in the business, when asked what it takes to be a promoter, Mr. Frost still answers: "A lot of nerve." As to what makes him tick, he says it is the excitement of a full house, and seeing the expressions on the faces of his audience when an artist starts playing. Naturally, having been around the entertainment scene for so long, he has his own opinions on various aspects of it, and is not afraid to voice them. Local musicians and their employment by the hotels is one example.

"I think a lot of local musicians are overpricing themselves. When Stanley Turrentine and Hubert Laws were here (for their first show) one of the things they said was, 'At some time in your career you are going to have to sacrifice, either by not working and playing at home, or by taking a lower wage and playing out every night'. I think the hotels and musicians should be able to sit down and negotiate a good compromise for a year's work. The hotels should be able to carry the musicians for a year."

Today, in addition to being a concert promoter, Mr. Frost is employed in airport security. He also has a long track record of working with Bermuda's youth, in whose well-being and nurturing of talent he is keenly interested.

"I work with troubled teens at Observatory Cottage. They need a lot of care, sternness, and somebody to take charge. I don't think the young people like the job of being in charge, they like somebody to be in charge of them," he says. "I think when they made the law that parents weren't able to correct their children that is where we went wrong. When parents are facing abuse from their children, they should have the right to correct them. I got a lot of spanks when I was young, my father got a lot, and I don't see where it hurt anyone. Children need guidance from an early age. You can't take grown children after age 14 and try to teach them the values of life." Turning to the Department of Tourism and the forthcoming jazz festival, Mr. Frost feels strongly that this is another missed opportunity where the youth are concerned.

"What upsets me most is that Tourism has signed over the contract to Black Entertainment Television and Emerald International to produce festivals in Bermuda without involving the local youth. When I say 'youth' I mean workshops. The jazz line-up is very good, and many of the artists they have selected were also in the proposal that we put forward, but we need to get on to people like bassist Bob Cranshaw, who is president of the American Jazz Federation, or the Pittsburg Jazz Society, to send musicians here to train and work with young people who are interested in keeping the jazz movement going. We are not going to get better in anything that we do on this Island unless we bring in people with experience to pass it on to our youth. As a promoter, if you try to work along with the youth, especially the ones who are very focussed, you will get your reward in the end."

In this regard, Mr. Frost is following closely the progress of Aaron Daniels, a gifted 12-year-old who studies piano, flute and saxophone, and he also arranges for him to participate in his concerts alongside the professional musicians as part of his musical growth.

"A lot of musicians have taken an interest in his playing, and he has taken a lot of interest in being around them," he says. "In addition, we have spoken to Mrs. Turrentine, and are going to try to have Stanley's band do a benefit so Aaron can go to college. Also, if we can get the legal rights to use the name Stanley Turrentine, Treble Clef Productions will produce an annual memorial jazz festival in his name in Bermuda, with part proceeds going to help people like Aaron who are trying to better themselves in the music industry."