Johnny 'Dizzy' Moore R.I.P

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An Extract from the interview with:

Alpha Boys School graduate: "Dizzy" Johnny Moore of the Skatalites

Johnny tell me how you started out to be a musician

Well, it's a long story. That's from my early childhood days. I grew up in a home where there was some music there. But, according to the folks it wasn't for me to be a part of.
So I wound up in Alpha Boys School where I learnt to play some music and I took it from there you know?

How did you end up in Alpha School for Boys?

Well, I had to pull a couple of pranks. My folks wasn't the type who would have liked to dump their kids there y'know? So I had to pull a couple of pranks so that they figure I was going haywire.

You did it on purpose?

Yes, because I had to learn the music and ever since I was a kid I told them hey I didn't want to do anyting else. I used to like use the leaf of the pumpkin and make like flutes, papaya stalks that kind of stuff there and combs, sardine cans with elastics, anything that would make a sound.

How did you know the Alpha School was the place to go?

Funny. I seen some kid next door to me. Beating off a mean drum. I say "Bwoy, where did you learn to do that?" and he said "Alpha". I said "Where is that". He says "You can't go there", coz my folks they weren't the worst off. They weren't the type of people, were seventh day adventists, they don't go with the Roman Catholic sentiment of things anyway, y'know? I says "Whoah, I got to get to that place". Like I said, I had to pull a couple of pranks (laughs).