The prodigy Junior Tucker as he performed in the early 1970s. - Contributed FOR ABOUT seven years Junior Tucker was not on speaking terms with his father Leslie Tucker Sr. The truth is Junior hated his father. His father, according to Junior, had been an abusive figure in the family. He was particularly abusive to Shirley, his wife and Junior's mother.
Then one day, Junior got a call from one of his sisters advising him that their father was in hospital. Junior visited with his father in hospital who said three main things to him.
Firstly, his father said: "Stop singing with money on your mind. Anytime you do that I will then be able to discern your true voice."
Secondly, Mr. Tucker Sr. said "You need to be careful of what you sing about-- You are taking money from people so ensure that you pour something good into their lives."
Thirdly, Mr. Tucker told Junior: "You need to start checking this place called Heaven. I know I was not made to live like this - hooked up to machines. (Mr. Tucker Sr. had kidney problems and was being treated on a dialysis machine.)"
Junior, who is the seventh of 11 children born to his parents and the boy whom the father chose to give his name, recounted that in listening to his father "I was there ready to fight. I was thinking this is my last chance to get some closure and ask him 'Why' and 'Did he really-- And questions like that. He dismissed me -- I felt very robbed because here I was, the first time I am talking to him in seven years and I would really love to have closure and now I can't fight him. I did not see him after that. He died about nine days later."
After his dad died, Junior started getting frequent nightmares. This continued for months. Then one night "I went on my knees and "I said 'God if you let me sleep tonight and take away these nightmares I promise you I will be what you want me to be.' I said too 'Please tell me what you want me to be because I am very confused'."
"That night I slept like a baby. The next morning was a Sunday morning. I said to Trudy (his wife) "Me a Christian and me a go a church".
About three days later Junior contacted Papa San who had then converted to Christ and who was headlining a Stephanie Hall concert to raise funds for an inner-city church project. Junior wanted to be on the show. Mid-way through the concert, San invited Junior on stage and he sang for the first time as a gospel artiste.
Not long after, Junior and his wife started worshipping at Swallowfield Chapel. Soon after attending Swallowfield, Junior responded to an altar call. He was counselled for salvation. His wife accepted Christ at his baptism which was held a few weeks later.
"It's important to me that people understand that though I did not love or had a good relationship with my father... my father gave me the greatest gift any man could give his child-- he pointed me towards Christ - in his way of doing it. God is able to save the abuser and the abused. Now I really love my father.
- Mark Dawes
