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Officers

Aubrey “Stumpy” Grant - New York - Lifetime member and Vice President

Aubrey “Stumpy” Grant personifies dedication and loyalty to VRCA. Aubrey Grant has been appointed to Lifetime membership from 2018. Our newest Director Stumpy was appointed to that position in March 2015, having been a member of the organization since 2010.   

Unusually his early exposure to music came from his mother Doris Grant. A lady who loved to entertain her friends on weekends, music was always an integral part of the package. Aubrey’s job was to load the records on the stereogram to keep the music flowing. She must have sensed something about him and the music because of all his siblings he was the only one who was assigned to this job. To this day “Stumpy” still has records in his collection with his mothers name on them. These represent a real treasure for him.

Stumpy started buying records in the late 1960’s to early 70’s and was a member of the Plus X Aggregation -  a renowned Disco in Jamaica in the 70’s -80’s. In those days he recalled playing every Sunday at the Flea market on Trafalgar Road often times having to hustle to that venue straight from their frequent Saturday night engagements. In 1987 he migrated to New York and, it was no surprise that his records went too. Interestingly the records were sent by airfreight in 2 barrels as no costs were spared to ensure that his gems accompanied him. In New York he reconnected with friends Trevor “Bop” McDonald and DJ Yo-yo, himself an old Plus X associate. Already on the record-collecting scene in New York these two friends took Stumpy around on several trips hunting for records. Inevitably he joined the fun and started collecting ardently.

A lover of soul music Stumpy just never seems to get enough of this genre.

Michael “Louis” Owens -Jamaica -Lifetime Member, President 2011 – Present

Michael “ Louis” Owens started buying records in 1972, his first being a Marvin Gaye record.  In 1984 his serious indoctrination into the vinyl record collecting business took place when his uncle Gersham “ Doc” White brought a set of over 300 45’s for him from Canada. These were all doubles from Doc’s personal collection and heavily influenced his musical appreciation.  Things have never quite been the same since then as it relates to record collecting as “The untrained Hand” as he was once referred to by a prominent music man is now known as “The Silent Master”

Originally from Waterhouse, Louis is a rounded collector of all genres of music.  He always plays to entertain but confesses to getting a buzz when he’s playing Ska.

Louis was introduced to VRCA in a working capacity on a voluntary basis in 2006 by our first President Richard “ Billy T” Elcock when he was asked to spearhead a team to organize  the MWE “Sit in” that year in Jamaica.

A strong supporter of VRCA he was appointed a Lifetime member in 2007 and elected President in 2011, he has promoted inclusivity, in word and in deed and constantly refers to his VRCA associates as team members.

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