ERROL   WISE

DATE OF BIRTH: December 24, 1941
PLACE OF BIRTH: ...., Trinidad
EDUCATION: Richmond Street Boys' Primary School
CAREER:                                       Wise grew up in Belmont, Port of Spain, where he learned to play the drums. He began his musical career as the leader and drummer of the singing group Strollers. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was the drummer on many recordings by top calypsonians such as the Mighty Sparrow, and accompanied many calypsonians on their tours around the world. He settled in New York in the 1980s where he continued to drum for many musical groups. In his early years, he toured with performers such as Marvin Gaye, Eddy Grant, and Sam and Dave and, in addition to performing with many Caribbean artists, was the opening act for international superstars such as Ray Charles, Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, The Jacksons, The Rolling Stones, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Teddy Pendergrass, Jimmy Smith, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and many others. During his drumming career, he traveled through the Caribbean, Europe, North America, Japan, Africa, and the Middle East. He relocated to Sarasota, Florida, USA, in the early-2000s and became the drummer for the R&B Group, "Soul Sensations," until illness ended his playing days in mid-2023.
DIED: October 25, 2023, in Sarasota, Florida, USA.
Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit