By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 5, 2024 – I absolutely had to share these photos posted today on Facebook by Ranoosh Abdallah of the Motown & More Group with readers of my Washington, D.C. – based online publication, BAHAMAS CHRONICLE, which has a huge following among Bahamians in the diaspora across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom as well as in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean: The photos were shared with the following narrative:
“Gladys Knight and the Pips, the legendary soul group that harmonized their way into our hearts, leaving a legacy of timeless music and unforgettable memories. With Gladys’ powerful, smooth vocals and the Pips’ harmonious backing, they created a sound that captivated audiences for decades.
From the classic hits like “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)” to their soulful renditions of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “If I Were Your Woman”, their music continues to inspire and uplift generations. As a group, they achieved immense success, earning numerous Grammy nominations and wins, as well as induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
But beyond their impressive accolades, Gladys Knight and the Pips left an indelible mark on the music world, reminding us of the power of love, heartache, and perseverance through their soulful harmonies. Their legacy continues to live on through their timeless music, a testament to the enduring spirit of this legendary group.”
BAHAMAS CHRONICLE EDITOR’S NOTE: I have been a huge, huge fan of Gladys Knight and The Pips from the early 1970s and I can still vividly recall when their hit song “Neither One Of Us Wants To Be the First to Say Goodbye” created some painful memories in my life.
I became a naturalized American citizen in 1982 after moving to the United States in 1975 because of what I routinely refer to nowadays as “affairs of the heart.” In 1971, I had the good fortune of meeting a beautiful young lady, Camille Brannum, who was a teacher in the Bronx, New York, at the time, while she was vacationing in Nassau.
Camille had a Master’s degree in English from Howard University, and at the time she and I shared an equally committed allegiance to the Black Power movement in the United States. We were married in Washington, D.C., in June of 1973.
After the wedding, Camille resigned her teaching job in New York and moved to Nassau with me. My very good friend, the late Stanley Wilson – brother of Sir Franklyn Wilson – and several other friends who were regulars at the Eagle Rock, a club through Sunlight Village where we were daily patrons, organized a home-coming “reception” for us.
Among the guests at the reception was the late Livingston Coakley, who at the time was Minister of Education. When he found out that Camille was a teacher, he invited her to come and see him the next day. A week later, Camille went to work as an English teacher at C.C. Sweeting High School.
At the time, I was the target of overt victimization by the then Progressive Liberal Party government as a result of the fact that I supported the decision by the Dissident Eight to leave the PLP in 1971 and subsequently became founding editor of the FNM’s newspaper, The Torch of Freedom, after the party was established following discussions with “moderate” members of the racist former United Bahamian Party (UBP) government at Jimmy Shepherd’s Spring Hill Farms homestead in Fox Hill.
After the PLP’s victory in the September 1972 general elections and the FNM’s decision to reduce its financial support for The Torch, I no longer had a job. I was still unemployed when Camille moved to The Bahamas with me after we were married. Fortunately, we lived very well on my savings and her income as a teacher.
However, when rumours started circulating that Camille and several other American women who were married to Bahamian men used their regular weekly meetings as a “cover” to meet their boyfriends, because of my insane jealousy, I confronted Camille about this rumour one night when I went home for dinner, which was part of our daily routine.
I shall never forget the night that I went home for dinner and when I opened the door to the living room, Gladys Knight’s “Neither One Of Us Want To Be The First To Say Goodbye” was playing on the stereo.
When we sat down to dinner, as accurately as I can recall, Camille said, “Honey, we have got to talk. I can’t go on living like this. Your accusation that I have been unfaithful really hurt me. I’m going home. I love you, but we have tried living in your country, let’s try doing so in mine.”
I loved Camille with a passion, so I naturally I agreed to move to the United States. She was under contract to the Ministry of Education until June of 1975, so I initially moved to Miami, where my Aunt Amanda an Uncle Lawrence lived at 1510 N.W., 69th Terrace in Liberty City, in December of 1974. Then in February of 1975, I moved to Washington, D.C., where Camille’s mother had leased an apartment for us at 734 Longfellow Street, N.W., where I lived for 18 years, even though Camille and I were divorced in 1976.
I subsequently became convinced that one of the greatest mistakes I made in my life was not doing all that I could to ensure that my marriage to Camille endured the rigors of time. I have been married three times since then, and all three of those marital unions were, for different reasons, very emotionally rewarding, but not on the same level as my marriage to Camille.
Click on the link below for a You Tube video of NEITHER ONE OF US WANTS TO BE THE FIRST TO SAY GOODBYE:
Click the link below for a video recording of GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwbmufPphP0
