Jambo Africa Online’s Publisher, SAUL MOLOBI, invades Smoke J Lawrence’s cyber hearth, https://smokejlawrence.com, to warm himself to the fires of his blues music. To catch his interview with him in his jazz music programme, “Sunset Serenade”, tune into Chai 101.9 FM (or stream live from www.chaifm.com) this Sunday from 17h00 to 20h00. For now here are his copious notes from his website…
Nico Lawrence, professionally known as “Smoke J Lawrence”, overcame a tumultuous start to life, born prematurely on January 1, 1976, and defying initial doubts about his survival. His early musical education came from his father, Mitchell Lawrence, a Pastor who introduced him to the bass guitar at the age of 4. Smoke’s early musical journey continued as he played the rhythm guitar for his school choir during his primary school years. It was in grade 4 that he discovered the captivating world of the 12 Bar Blues through Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me In the Morning”.
His passion for the Blues deepened when his brother-in-law Shirleigh introduced him to the music of BB King and Eric Clapton through cassette tapes. However, during his high school years, his love for soccer briefly overshadowed his musical pursuits.
In 1999, Smoke married Leanne, but their happiness was marred by the devastating loss of their firstborn son during childbirth four years later. This tragedy led him down a dark path of alcoholism, self-harm thoughts, and emotional turmoil.
In June 2009, Smoke decided to turn his life around after a month of rehabilitation. He took control of his business, setting it on a positive trajectory.
In the distant, ancient year of 2012, our protagonist, Smoke, embarked on an epic odyssey of recovery. But lo and behold, it wasn’t the quest for the Holy Grail that guided him, nor was it a mystical guru atop a mountain – no, it was a fateful encounter at the Pavilion Music Shop.
There, amidst the cacophony of musical instruments and the intoxicating allure of shiny strings and woodwinds, Smoke stumbled upon his guru of grooves, the legendary Black Jack. The Pavillion Music Shop wasn’t just any store; it was a magical haven where the soulful serenades of the Blues could mend broken hearts, rekindle passions, and answer the most profound of life’s questions.
Smoke entered the shop with the wide-eyed curiosity of a cat who had just discovered a piano. “Boy, can you play the blues?” asked Black Jack with a wry grin, as if he could sense the hidden blues potential oozing from Smoke’s every pore. Smoke, caught off guard and probably still in recovery mode, managed to mumble a hesitant “yes.”
And just like that, it was time for Smoke to pick a guitar off the wall, still the guitar he plays today, and her name is Fire and join the celestial jam session. Even the unassuming salesman, swept away by the cosmic magic, pulled out his harmonica and became an impromptu member of the newly formed ensemble. The shop swelled with music lovers who gathered to witness this impromptu bluesy symphony. They clapped with such enthusiasm that it was as if they had just witnessed the birth of a musical legend.
Amidst the melodious chaos, an elderly lady, her eyes twinkling like a bluesy star, asked the inevitable question: “Does the band have a CD out?” The only logical response was to burst into laughter, for the band had formed on the spot, and Smoke was still trying to figure out how he ended up there in the first place.
And thus, Black Jack took Smoke under his wing, becoming a mentor, a blues whisperer, and a guardian of guitar strings. In the end, it was a day for the history books – a day when Smoke’s recovery journey met its musical destiny, all thanks to Black Jack and the irresistible allure of the Pavilion Music Shop.
In 2014, tragedy struck again when a veld fire destroyed the municipal factory housing his business on August 14, resulting in the loss of their possessions. The Lawrence family made the challenging decision to relocate to Johannesburg, where Smoke faced a year of unsuccessful job interviews.
In 2015, Smoke made a life-changing decision by opening a tuck-shop at the municipal swimming pool. Armed with his guitar and a speaker, he started shyly playing music in order for people to buy his chips and sweets, marking the beginning of his journey as “Smoke J Lawrence.” From that point onward, his dedication to music and the Blues would lead to a remarkable transformation, and the rest, as they say, is history.