Booster Shot: Blakey checked into rehab

This afternoon,Vincentian calypsonian turned drug addict, Blakey, was checked into the Turning Point Rehabilitation Facility in St. Lucia. After several months of significant progress under the careful watch of family members and his musical team, Blakey will continue treatment in the care of qualified medical professionals

Meeting a reformed Blakey for the first time at Insomnia 2008 (Arnos Vale, St. Vincent)

When Project Blakey began in St. Vincent in the Spring, many people believed it to be a gimmick. A soca artist (Skinny Fabulous) and a producer (Kubiyashi) took a homeless drug addicted vagrant, brought him to the studio and made him an instant star. Blakey's "No More Long Talk" rose to the top of the nation's charts over night, and an alcoholic crack fiend was accepted as a legitimate performing artiste. The duet with reigning Soca Monarch Skinny Fabulous has begun to take hold outside of the archipelago, now in the #4 position on the Toronto-Lime.com soca chart.

Producer Kubiyashi

Throughout the Vincy Mas season, Blakey did his best to remain sober out of respect for the persons who took interest in his welfare. However, he suffered a major relapse on Carnival Monday which drove him back temporarily to both the bottle and the pipe.

Those who recognized Blakey's latent charm and previously unappreciated talent have continued to financially support him on his journey. Along with the aid of Skinny Fabulous and Kubiyashi, Blakey's stint in rehab was made possible through contributions from local businessed Tha Hook Up and Pulse, as well as the Vincy Soca Dans and Vincentian glamour model Odini Sutherland.

Hanging with Skinny Fabulous in Toronto