Ricky Durant

Once deemed “the great connector” for his amiable management skills, Ricardo “Ricky” Durant’s educational, career, musical and philanthropic accomplishments have spanned well over 60 years.

The Plainfield, New Jersey resident, from Deighton Road, St. Michael, Barbados, is also batting high with more than 50 years of marriage to Marcia Fields. He met her while attending the Modern High School from 1963 to 1967, “at the school yard standpipe”.

Ricky’s first impact was in music, stimulated by his mother, Majorie, with annual gifts of a harmonica and a mini xylophone. He then got a guitar but it was the gift of a bass guitar set him on a musical path.

At the Bay Primary Elementary School, at 13 he was tapped to play bass guitar for the Teenage College Thrillers, (TCT). The TCT became known for playing the most enticing ballroom style music. The talented young musicians accompanied Richard Stoute, Jackie Opel, Mike Wilkinson, Norma Stoute and many other top Barbadian entertainers. The band’s outstanding performances with Richard Stoute, in particular their recording of Goodbye Bajan Girl, earned them critical acclaim throughout the Caribbean. Soon, the band was invited to play in St. Vincent and Grenada.

Ricky played bass for six years with TCT before joining the Blue Rhythm Combo (BRC). The BRC became famous for playing several genres of music including Barbados’ Spouge. It toured the United States and Canada, playing with some of America’s most famous musicians, and opened for Stevie Wonder in Barbados in the early 1970s.

Ricky immigrated to the United States and joined Rotodyne Industries at the Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, a full-service engineering firm, specializing in manufacturing of industrial machinery & equipment. He worked on the assembly line for two years.

He then joined the Office Services team at Jackson Lewis LLP, a labor and employment law firm in Manhattan, quickly becoming known because of his work ethic. The firm’s Managing Partner, Bill Krupman, relied on Ricky’s relationship building skills with the court and labor board clerks in the processing of documents, to advance the firm’s reputation in the industry.

Ricky started as a file clerk, before gradually moving through every single department - legal, paralegal, library, accounting, document production, and office management - learning the ins and outs of the law firm. He also went back to school to earn his Mechanics Certification from Union Technical Institute.

His positive attitude, lighthearted disposition and professionalism contributed to the firm quickly growing to 62 offices nationwide. He retired as the firm’s Office Services Supervisor, after 47 years of service, with a reputation as the “great connector”, recruiting, introducing, and expanding the pipeline for other Caribbean men looking to secure stable employment.

A believer in the famous Shirley Chisholm quote, “Service is the rent we pay for living on this earth”, Ricky is known for helping others and a behind the scenes worker who gets things done. He joined the Barbados American Charitable Organization of New Jersey, (BACONJ), with the shared purpose of helping less fortunate people in Barbados and the Diaspora. Additionally, Ricky and Marcia sponsor prizes for the essay competition of the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Show, and provide graduation gifts and school supplies for young scholars. Recently, after losing dear friend and fellow musician Lew “Jiggs” Kirton, Ricky joined with Bajan Diaspora Online & Friends, chaired by Mary Yearwood, to honor his memory. The group produced the concert, A Tribute to Llewellyn “Jiggs” Kirton in New York. Funds from the dinner dance and concert will support the first recording of an aspiring young entertainer/ musician in Barbados. Ricky has been recognized for his philanthropic efforts, receiving awards and certificates of achievement from the Modern High School Alumni Association, New Covenant Christian Academy and BACONJ. Beyond playing the bass guitar, he is a long-time member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Choir. His soulful bass voice can also be heard during Black History Month concerts at the United Methodist Church, with Mark Miller’s Community Choir during the Easter season and with Calvary Baptist Church at Christmas time. Ricky and Marcia have two children, Natasha and Dwayne, and seven grandchildren.