Basil Glendon Gabbidon was born on 29 October 1955, the eldest of four talented Gabbidon brothers, Colin, O'Neil and Ian and a sister, Beryl.
Basil took a one year vocational course in graphics with a plan to go into television advertising, although "it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be" he remembers.
Basil, who was nineteen at the time, recalls, "Selwyn did most of the vocals, we played a mix of cover versions and dub numbers and it went down really well." They became the pub's resident Friday night band for a few months.
Basil left the band at the time of the True Democracy album but has remained heavily involved in music with his own bands, Bass Dance and Gabbidon, as well as community and schools programmes in the Midlands.
Basil was an accomplished sportsman and when he wasn't training with Birchfield Harriers, he was playing cricket for East Midlands and Warwickshire at schools level, as well as turning his hand to basketball, football and table tennis for his school, Handsworth Wood.
Basil's frank and fascinating insight into the band's early days and his own part in their rise to prominence will be a 'must-see' for any followers of the band or reggae music in general.
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