The Mighty Pope facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Mighty Pope
|
|
|---|---|
The Mighty Pope, May 2014
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Earle Heedram |
| Born | October 23, 1945 Lucea, Jamaica |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
The Mighty Pope (born Earle Heedram; October 23, 1945) is a singer from Jamaica who became a Canadian citizen. He is known for his powerful voice and exciting stage performances.
Early Life and Moving to Canada
Earle Heedram got his nickname, Pope, because his father owned a piece of land in their hometown of Lucea, Jamaica that looked like Vatican City. In 1965, he moved to Canada. It was a big change for him, with new people, buildings, and weather.
He quickly joined the growing Jamaican music scene in Ontario. Many Jamaican people were moving to Canada at this time. There were clubs like Club Jamaica where immigrants could enjoy their culture through music and food. Pope had some singing experience in Jamaica, performing with Byron Lee. In Toronto, he soon became a popular R&B singer on Yonge Street. He joined The Sheiks, the house band at Club Jamaica, as their lead singer.
The Sheiks
The Sheiks were one of the first groups of West Indian musicians to move to Canada in 1964. They came to share the Jamaican sound of ska music. The band decided to stay in Toronto because they saw many chances to perform.
After some changes in the band, Pope joined in 1966. His arrival brought new energy to The Sheiks. Within a year, they recorded their first Canadian song. With Pope singing lead, The Sheiks released an R&B/soul song called "Eternal Love" in 1967. This song was later included on a special music collection called Jamaica To Toronto: Soul Funk & Reggae 1967–1974.
The Hitch-Hikers
Soon, Pope was asked to join another band called The Hitch-Hikers. This band was led by Rock and Roll legend Frank Motley. Pope became the lead singer, taking the place of the popular singer Jackie Shane.
The Hitch-Hikers, with Pope as lead, performed very often across Ontario and Quebec. In 1970, they recorded their first album, The Hitch-Hikers featuring The Mighty Pope. This album had original songs written by Pope and the band's guitarist, Rupert "Valentine" Bent. It also included covers of R&B and funk songs. However, the album did not get much support and was not very successful. The band later released one more song, "Mr. Fortune," before breaking up.
Solo Career
After singing with a few other smaller bands, Pope decided to start a solo career. This is when he found even greater success. He toured constantly, which helped him become more well-known.
In the mid-1970s, his exciting stage shows caught the attention of RCA Records Canada. In 1977, RCA released his self-titled album, The Mighty Pope. This album included his hit song, "Heaven On The 7th Floor," which reached number 14 in Canada. The album was produced by Harry Hinde and featured arrangements by Eric Robertson. It also had help from Motown music legend David Van De Pitte, who worked on Marvin Gaye's famous album What's Going On.
"Heaven On The 7th Floor" was a big hit for Pope in Canada. Another song from the album, "If You Want A Love Affair," became popular in the UK's Northern Soul dance scene.
In 1978, Pope signed with Quality Records. For his next album, Sway, he worked with producer John Driscoll and Italian-Canadian disco artist Gino Soccio. This album quickly became popular in clubs around the world. The first song released was a new version of "Sway," followed by the dance hit "Sweet Blindness." Both songs were very popular on the U.S. disco charts. Pope promoted his music with tours and TV appearances.
As music styles changed, Pope's time in disco was short. By the early 1980s, he continued to perform soul, R&B, and pop music in clubs across Canada. In the early 1990s, he decided to take a break from music to focus on his family.
His music career was restarted in 2006 when his older songs were re-released. Since then, Pope has been performing again in cities like Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver, to many happy fans.
