Former National Calypso Monarch Denyse Plummer launched her autobiographical book, The Crossover at The Normandie in St Ann’s on Friday.
Summarised with the phrase “from revelry to righteousness,” the book takes the reader through Denyse’s journey from childhood to her current path of walking in righteousness. It tells of her life as a cultural icon, mother daughter, sister, wife, and now a committed child of God.
Delivering welcome and introductory remarks at the event, close friend Wendell Constantine—who sang at her wedding when he was just 12 years old—referred to Plummer’s nightmare initiation into the world of Calypso at Skinner Park, San Fernando in 1986 as “the platform of opportunity” on which she rose to stardom.
“Many would have thrown in the towel after such an experience,” he said, “but that was just another step in the journey that has brought her to this stage of her life.”
Pastor Carl Meade, founder of World Outreach Church Ministries in Petit Valley, the church Denyse attends, spoke about the world system of light and darkness. “Few people have come out of the darkness in one piece,” he said. “But Denyse has survived the crossover from darkness to light.”
He recalled his first face-to-face encounter with her when he, too, was living in darkness, and managing a popular downtown nightclub.
He said: “We wanted Denyse to appear on stage at the club, but when we told her the name of the night club, immediately, because of personal convictions, she refused. That’s when I said that woman has standards, and money cannot move her.
“She knows what she is about. I was impressed. I don’t know which one of the messages God used to destroy the works of darkness in Denyse Plummer’s life, but the Word works, and she eventually responded to the heavenly call. God had need of her and she could not escape.”
Denyse, in brief remarks, revealed that the book was written in six months. She expressed the hope that her documented story would inspire others to find themselves.
“At the time when you think everything is done. God finds new ways for you to continue,” she said. “The secret is not to get too comfortable in life. Forget what hurt you, but never forget what it taught you.”
The Crossover contains 47 chapters in 207 pages; from Growing Up (Parts I and II) to Highly Favoured. Between them are titles such as Scary Times, At Death’s Door, My Amazing Career, My Manager My Sister, Attacks, The Coup, Our Influence As Women, Letting The Baggage Go, The Need For Change, Medicine To The Soul, God Loves Sinners, and Turning Barriers Into Bridges, to name a few.
Copies, costing $125 each, will be available to the public from tomorrow at all branches of Nigel Khan Book Stores and online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.