There was a time when he thought he had it all: the house, the car, the gold jewellery -- and yes, the international recognition that comes with being a successful singer and recording artist.

Today, Carlton Welch -- better known as Junior C -- knows those so-called glory days were rainbows which disappeared just as quickly as they had come.

It took many twists and turns along the road to his personal epiphany before the young man rediscovered what he now sees as "the right way'': the Christian faith by which he now lives.

Although he is only 20, Junior C has experienced more of the good, the bad and the ugly than many young men his age, and his pursuit of artistic and personal happiness had its price.

His story begins in the Harlem, Bailey's Bay neighbourhood where his cousins Sean Hollis, Angelo (Danger Don) Smith and Philando (Daddy Ranksie) Hill were all singers.

"I was 12 or 13, and I used to look up to those guys,'' Junior C recalls.

"They were big time singers back then, and Ranksie was a recording artist I really enjoyed listening to.'' Sure enough, the lad began singing along with them, and showed such promise that Mr. Hill took him under his wing.

"I used to practice so much with my cousins, and I got so good, that Ranksie groomed me and got me together,'' he relates. "He put together various local artists and we made an album called Our Time Now, which did very well locally and abroad. I was exactly 15 years old.'' The self-described rude boy was also a student at Whitney Institute who sometimes sneaked out to sing with the group in clubs, and at dance halls and sessions, but ultimately he felt there wasn't sufficient time for such gigs, and besides, he really wanted to sing on his own.

Enter producer and Studio B owner Dwight Jones, who was putting together a group.

"At that time I was basically singing with my cousins: Makeda and Stacey Hollis and Denise DeSilva, and we were known as Shingae,'' he relates."They were singing R&B and I was singing reggae, so there was a crossover.'' Shingae did well both here and and in the US, and the future looked rosy indeed -- so rosy, in fact, that the group left Bermuda, acquired an agent, and made Washington, DC their home base.

"We were just 17 or so, and we had a house, a car -- the works,'' Junior C remembers, "but we were under the wrong management and they squandered it all.'' Nonetheless, Junior C was spotted by "an investor'' and made a single entitled Catch Me If You Can, which was released in the US.

"With that single we had done a music video on Black Entertainment Television (BET) with Cherie Carter, one of its hosts, who came on and did a little skit,'' the singer relates.

Once again, history repeated itself. The manager squandered the money and Junior C was broke. If ever there was a time to take stock of his life, this was it.

Disillusioned and discouraged, the teenager dug down to the Christian roots of his early upbringing in search of answers.

"At that time I wasn't listening to God and what he wanted for me. I was just doing what I wanted, not what I needed,'' he recalls. "I didn't know that having all the fancy things, the record deals and the video weren't what life was really about.

"So I started listening to God, and what he was saying was: `Why aren't you thanking me for all these records and honour and money in the bank and stuff?' As I listened, God started talking away, so basically I asked him what he wanted me to become, and to steer me in the right direction.'' The first step was to return home to get himself together again and "get right with God'' -- a mission in which his sister, Simmonnette Tyrrell was to play "a very important role''.

"She saw what I was going through, and she told me I had to believe in myself,'' Junior C relates. "All I wanted to do was sing again, but I didn't want to have that bad feeling inside myself. Simmonnette stuck by me and helped me to get back on track.'' Step two was the suggestion of Craig Tyrrell, then fiance m and now husband of Simmonnette, that Junior C make another album. Thus did Faith come to pass.

The title, the singer says, reflects the faith he had to succeed.

"I had been in the limelight and I'd seen the stars, and then it was taken away from me, and I was asking `Why?' '' he explains. "You don't make deals with God, but I asked Him to get me back in the music mainstream, and I promised that if He did I would glorify His name.'' Faith was picked up by Red Clay Records, a major US label, but because they wanted to distribute the album worldwide, he was asked to produce six more songs for it.

Thanks to his fiance me, Tahkeasha Dill, he found the necessary inspiration to fulfill their request, augmented by back-up singers Tanya Iris, Troy Anthony, Septimus and Cia Spence. Some of the songs were based on Junior C's life experiences, and others on his relationship with Tahkeasha.

"She is a beautiful soul,'' he says. "Everywhere I go, she goes. She supports me and I support her.'' The singer also has unstinting admiration for his manager and friend, Mr.

Tyrrell, and says he simply could not manage without him.

"I don't know how he finds the patience, time and energy to do what he does because he has a very busy day job. Without him I wouldn't know what to do. He deals with things and gets me out there. He is the man.'' As a committed Christian, Junior C no longer sings in night clubs or at parties. Since his favourite music is reggae, he now sings gospel with a reggae beat, and is concentrating on making recordings "with a world message''. He will, however, perform in churches, at fund-raisers, and at "real culture'' shows which have a message, if asked. He also enjoys singing and giving his testimony at the Club Vibe sessions in the BIU building, where the DJ plays all gospel music.

Gospel Beyond these shores, he received nominations in two categories of the annual Bahamian and Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards, held in Nassau on April 1: Outstanding Caribbean male vocal performance of the year for his album Strange Days, which also featured local singer and DJ Ninja Cutty, and Caribbean song of the year for the title track from Faith. Although the awards eluded him, his work generated a lot of interest.

When he relaxes, Junior C likes to listen to reggae recording artist Luciano, and gospel reggae singer Papa San -- with whom he competed at the Caribbean awards.

Asked what message he might have for Bermuda's young people, the singer said: "Seek God first and He will show you what your purpose is. Seeking anything other than your purpose really is not important to Him. He will give you the guidelines to live, whether you are Christian, Rastafarian or Muslim.

Junior C's albums are available at Music World.

Goin' with Gospel: Bermudian singer and recording artist Junior C specialises in gospel with a reggae beat. The title track from his latest album, Faith, was recently nominated for an award in the Bahamian and Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards.