Holly B - as he is popularity known - was the original host of Scouting for Talent on the state media - Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT),
He has also been a great lover of Parang had developed special parang shows as part of the regular programming at TTT during the Christmas season as both producer and presenter.
Holly B’s love for local culture began in his childhood days in Arima. He became involved in media and entertainment in the 1940s at the U.S. Armed Forces radio service network, WVDI.
He moved to television when TTT was inaugurated in 1962 and helped develop local entertainment and cultural shows that reflected Trinidad and Tobago.
Through "the eyes of the nation" Holly presented the real Trinidad and Tobago to a generation of national audiences, building bridges and creating understanding of the diversity of Trinidad and Tobago.
I had the privilege on knowing Holly B and working with him in the glory days of TTT. He had a passion for his work and was always brimming with energy. There will always be only one Holly B.
His Scouting for Talent was perhaps one of the best nation-building cultural shows ever in Trinidad and Tobago through which many of the country's great entertainers had their first exposure. Unlike Mastana Bahar, it had no ethnic bias; everyone was welcome.
At 85, he is still involved in entertainment and culture.
Trinidad and Tobago owes a debt of gratitude to people like Holly B and others like "Auntie" Hazel Ward whose "12 and Under", "Teen Dance Party" and "Mainly for Women" were groundbreaking television shows that kept our nation together, celebrating what brought us together, not what set us apart.
Please read: Remember TTT, a personal view
Jai Parasram | Toronto, 14 Nov. 2010
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