Eleuthera's Music Man
by Perry Joseph
I had heard of the famous Dr. Seabreeze and had seen pictures of him, so it was easy to spot him while sitting at a bar sipping on a soft drink in Gregory Town one sunny Tuesday afternoon.
I wasted no time introducing myself and told Doc how I had seen him in a video about Eleuthera shot a few years ago by a surfing crew called Island Hoppers during their visit to Eleuthera. Dr. Seabreeze' music had put the hook in me. I love island music in many different varieties, be it soca, reggae, calypso, even Hawaiian, but the Doc's music is special and some of the best original old school island music I've ever heard. And Dr. Seabreeze is the deal when it comes to being an entertainer -- real class.
I told Doc I would be on Eleuthera for a while and wanted to interview him and make a few live recordings for my website. I asked where I could catch up with him, Doc said "My office, most any day of the week," which happens to be Ronnie's famous Hi-D-Way Lounge on Cupid's Cay next to Governor's Harbour. 
A few weeks later with my wife Rose Mary in tow, we made our way over to Ronnie's place, and as prescribed, the Doctor of Island Music was in. When I first asked Rose Mary if she wanted to go, she asked with rolling eyes "Doctor Who?" to which I replied "Don't worry, you're going to love this gig." Okay, so I am not always right, but this time, I was, and by the time we were done, she was hooked too.
So here's my informal interview taken at Ronnie's bar. Later in the interview, you can hear a few of the songs I recorded in the back room of Ronnie's with my small but mighty digital recorder. It was hot day on Eleuthera - sweat dripping from my face as I stood perfectly still and held the micro recorder in just the right spot - high tech meets old school recording techniques - just shove the microphone up close to the artist and let 'er rip. Ja Man!
Q - What year were you born, Doc?
A - I was born in 1941.
Q - And your full name is...
A - Cebric Bethel, that's an English name. I was named after an English lord.
A - I have looked all over the world, but I can't find no more Cebrics. I can find Cedrics, but no Cebrics.
Q - Okay, so you're Cedric
A - No, I'm Cebric.
Q - Okay, so you're "Cebric" I see.
A - My stage name is Dr. Seabreeze, which I adopted that in 1975.
Listen to Dr. Seabreeze play Pretty Boy & Momma Don't Want No Peas & Rice. Music courtesy & copyright by Dr. Seabreeze.
Q - And where have you been playing?
A - I been playin' uh, London, Paris, Belgium, Germany. I'm the first Bahamian singing in the New York Yacht Club, 44th Street in Manhattan. I've been in Grosse Pointe Michigan doing weddings, I go all over the world. You name it, I've been there.
Q - Where did you start playing?
A - I started to play right here on the island at a little place called Tranquility, which is now closed. I picked up the guitar there in 1971, and I've been going strong ever since. I asked the good Lord to bless me with a gift and he sure did. But I was in the band from when I was 13 years old; so if you count up this years, I'll be 52 years I've been entertaining between the band and myself.
Q - How did you learn how to play music?
A new book on Dr. Seabreeze by Lynn Parlett has been released! Support the Dr. and buy a copy now on Amazon: “Doctor Seabreeze's Eleuthera”.
A - I just picked it up myself. Never took a lesson.
Q - Do you know how to read music?
A - No, I don't read music, but I know how to read lips. (laughs) I know how to listen too (laughs)
Q - What's your favorite music besides the music that you play?
A - Well I like a lot of ballads too you know, like the Last Farewell, and I Can't Stop Lovin' You, and I like a little jazz like Blueberry Hill, and few things; but normally it's gotta be calypso. That's the only way to go... it's mellow, and nice and it's easy. And the calypso songs, they always tell stories about people and things, so that's why I like to stick with the calypso.
Q - Who are your favorite bands and favorite artists?
A - Well, I don't know, the bigger bands I don't know like that because most of the guys have died that I used to like, like James Brown and all those when I was younger. I knew James Brown and Ray Hamilton, but all those guys are gone now. But I used to like Louis Armstrong, he did a lot of good jazz too. And, you know, Fats Domino, and of course Ray Charles and what have you. The list goes on and on. Otis Redding was good... if he would have been living today he would have been a legend.
Q - You listened to a lot of Motown then.
A - Oh yeah, I've been a little bit of everything.
Q - So where do you play now, currently, on Eleuthera?
A - Well, I play to the Rainbow Inn twice a week, and then I'm over on Unique, I also do that twice a week. Then I will take weddings and parties and you know, I would do the Windemere Hotel. In the old days the Windemere was really booming in the late 60s and 70s and 80s. I used to play for the Royal Family, Prince Charles, Lady Di, I used to entertain all those people over at the Windemere; that's where all the celebrities used to go and I would sing for them.
Q - What was your favorite place to play?
A - In those days it was Windemere because there were a lot of people and the money was still better anyway.
Q - Now if somebody is coming down to Eleuthera a year from now or whenever they might come down, and maybe you're playing someplace different, what's the best way for them to find out where you're playing if they come to Eleuthera?
A - If they come to Eleuthera, you can always, if you get on the island there's only one Dr. Seabreeze, and you can ask anybody and they can tell you. And you can find me right here at Ronnie's Hideaway. This is where I have my little set-up, my little office here. People can mostly find me right through Ronnie's Hideaway, Cupid's Cay next to Governor's Harbour.