People have asked how much of the "King Gully" story is real and how much is "artistic license". It's actually both. Here are the facts....
Fortunately the real King Gully is still alive and well in Crab Hill, St. Lucy, Barbados. That's the true story of his name; you can't make up stuff like that! He charged hard at Duppies, and was and still is a very cool guy. Say "Hi!" to him if you go surf the Northwest coast of Barbados.
The guy who had cancer and killed himself was actually my neighbor in Bali. His Mom was about to sell the family's house to pay for another round of chemo, and it was the only way he could stop her. Terrible yet noble somehow, and it fit the song's theme of taking charge of one's destiny, whatever life throws at you.
Back in Barbados in '72, the real Andrew Broomes was a grom 10 years younger than Gully and me, and he did grow up to become a police officer. Although Andy wound up on the other side of the law from Gully, they remained friends. I occasionally get email from Andy's sister Idell Broomes.
The "Three Aquatic Musketeers" were actually me, King and my little brother Walt, ("King Of The Surf Post", Surfer Mag). If there was white water on the reef at Duppies, the three of us were out there, on it! :>) After 3 years in the Caribbean, including discovering Cane Garden Bay, Walt and I moved to Hawaii's North Shore in '75. Walt begat Flynn who begat some epic tube rides at Pipeline.
Oh, and the West Indian surfer standing straight up in the barrel as we paddled over the shoulder was actually Michael, the lifeguard in Tobago, who went on to become a Calypso/Carnival star. That was all in the pre-dreadlock days, so both Michael and Gully had huge Sly Stone afros back then. I still have this clear image in my mind of the roof of the barrel grazing the top of Michael's afro, and he didn't even realize it.
I myself moved from Hawaii to Hollywood in 1980 to pursue my other passion, music, (although I still travel and surf 3 or 4 months a year). I've been privileged to work with all kinds of musical legends, especially Motown's Holland/Dozier/Holland. That's Linda Holland singing backups on "King Gully".
So I rolled all these stories into one and somehow stuffed them all into a 4 minute song. :>) Hope you enjoy it!
Aloha, Rick Novak.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFRtKuXJ6EKing Gully was the first Rasta surfer on Barbados' North Shore, where I learned to surf. Music by the Bucky Burro Band. Photography by Tarik B, great surfing shots and amazing waves, all from Barbados. Enjoy!