Harmonica player James (Bobby) Barton is known as one of the Island’s great musicians.

But something else he hopes to be equally known for? His faith.

Mr Barton credits God with helping him to find his wife, Shirley, many years ago. He is also thankful to the Lord for allowing him to share his musical gift with people across the Island.

He will perform on Tuesday as part of the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute’s Profiles In Harmony event at 7.30pm.

The concert will also feature percussionist Keith Caisey, accordion player Jean Howes and musical saw player Dilton Lightbourne. A short film on Bermuda’s music legends by Dale Butler will also screen.

In advance of that, Mr Barton told The Royal Gazette how his faith and love for music had shaped his life over the past 60 years.

“When I accepted the Lord as my saviour I was 26 and I just knew something was missing in my life,” the 86-year-old musician said.

“It wasn’t me to go out drinking and partying and clubbing and all that the other boys would do.

“One day someone said to me, ‘Bobby, have you been to the Youth for Christ meetings held at the old Opera House?’ It was a crowd of teenagers who met every Sunday night after the church service was finished.

“So I went and heard a fellow preach and I was under conviction.

“He asked us if we were to die and didn’t know Jesus as our Saviour, did we know where we would be heading? I didn’t want that to be me.

“My friend who invited me asked me, ‘Bobby what’s stopping you from accepting Jesus?’ I told him, ‘I’m embarrassed to go in front of all these people’.

“So he took me into a small room and gave me some scripture. I prayed and repeated after him a small prayer of faith. After that I felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulders right there and then and right away, the next day, I started to witness to other people.”

In those early days, people thought he had gone crazy. But as he got more connected with the Evangelical Church in Paget, he met more young people who loved the Lord.

“I started to go to Tuesday prayer meetings and Friday night youth meetings and I blended right in,” he said.

It was sometime around the age of 11 that Mr Barton taught himself how to play the harmonica. His mother gave him a mini harmonica and he immediately went off into the bushes to practice. He stayed there until he could play A Tisket; A Tasket.

After he was saved, God opened up doors for him to play at various church and community functions around Bermuda.

“I never learned how to read the music, but I learned how to play by ear,” Mr Barton explained.

“I still play in the church orchestra and when I know the song number I can play right along with them.

“Right now, Jean Howes and I play on Thursdays for the folks at Meals on Wheels. We also go to some of the old folks homes to play.”

He believes God led him to his wife, who he met at one of his regular church meetings. He said he had been praying for a good Christian girl and when he saw her he knew she was the one.

“Shirley’s aunt was a member of the church and she said, ‘Bobby, we have a niece coming down from Canada to visit Bermuda. We would like for you to meet her and take her sightseeing’. I met her on the Sunday night Youth for Christ meeting and we went to the Spot restaurant for ice cream and pie.”

Their first real date came a bit later, after one of Mr Barton’s friends got married.

The wedding party decided to go carolling after the Christmas Eve ceremony.

“That’s when my friend suggested, ‘Why don’t you invite Shirley?’ That ended up being our first proper date.

“She was visiting here for a month and we used to meet and go driving. Then one night I said something I had never said before, I said I loved her.

“You see, I came from a broken home and never saw love. But that night I asked her to marry me and she said yes.

“I didn’t have a penny to my name. But we were married six months later and have been happily married ever since.”

Mr Barton said God has blessed him richly in his life. His son, Rick, is a missionary in Canada and his daughter, Laurel, plays the piano in the church orchestra.

“But I’m not better than anyone else,” he said.

“God is still working on me and trying to make me what he wants me to be.”

His advice to anyone trying to thrive in their Christian walk is to never give up.

“Every day something comes up that tries to hinder you from your walk,” he said.

“That’s because you still have your carnal nature, but you also have your faith and if you make a mistake you just ask the Lord to forgive you and He will.

“If you have things in your life that you have to straighten out, I’d also encourage people to do it now before it’s too late.”

• Tickets to the Profiles in Harmony concert are $20 for BUEI members and $25 for non-members. Call 294-0104 for more information.