Quiet Fire, a reggae, Latin jazz, and R&B ensemble which emerged as one of the premier groups in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was founded by teenagers attending Croix Central High and St. Josephโs Catholic high schools on St. Croix Island. They began as the Soul Busters in 1967.
The original members (with dates of birth) were leader/principal trumpeter Claude Louis Richards Jr. (January 2, 1950), trumpeter Neal โPantaโ Carrington (November 2, 1952), bass guitarist/vocalist Devin Francis Carrington (March 13, 1954), piano/vocalist Daryl Anthony Richards Sr. (December 16, 1955), guitarist Ronald E. Russell (born June 10, 1954), Ray โHaseenโ Iles congas (March 19, 1951); Delroy โDeliโ Iles, congas (September 4, 1948); Roy Delemos on the alto saxophone (November 30, 1950), Renholdt โRookieโ Jackson, tenor saxophone (September 13, 1949), Raymond โHoofaโ Richards, composer/vocalist/percussionist, trombonist Antoine L. Joseph (November 11, 1952), and percussionist/vocalist Robert Ernest โBobbyโ Richards (April 20, 1954). They originally performed rhythm and blues and Caribbean covers principally.
In 1978, the Soul Busters changed their name to Quiet Fire and the following year recorded their debut studio album, Tropical Depression. The band did two follow-up albums. The work was recorded in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Ochoa Recording Studios.
In 1984 Quiet Fireโs music composition โFrederikstedโ was selected from musical competitions at Island Center for the Performing Arts as the Road March song for the annual Three Kings Day celebration, better known as St. Croixโs Crucian Christmas Festival.
The Virgin Islands government sponsored Quiet Fire to represent the territory at the Cartagena Festival Internacional de Mรบsica del Caribe, in Cartagena, Colombia, in 1984 and 1985.
In 2006 Quiet Fire, as a four-member group, was still performing and appeared at the 7th Annual Sunset Jazz Festival at Fort Frederick Beach Park, hosted by the Frederiksted Economic Development Association Inc. in St. Croix, Virgin Islands.
While Quiet Fireโs history was primarily as a band, its original members singularly and collectively impacted the Virgin Islandsโ cultural and political scene. Ronald E. Russell is a former senator in the V.I. Legislature. Daryl Anthony Richards is a retired school principal in the V.I.; Renholdt โRookieโ Jackson is a retired V.I. police officer. Delroy โDeliโ Iles retired as an air traffic controller for Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
Some members have moved to the United States. Antoine E. Joseph Jr. is a professor of history at Bryant University, Rhode Island. Claude Louis Richards Jr. resides in Orlando, Florida. Roy Delemos lives in Nyack, New York. Seven of the original members are still entertaining as freelance musicians.
