Directors

Clifford “Cliffy” Walsh - Toronto - Director

 

Clifford “ Cliffy” Walsh, they call him the “record chef” is our newest member having joined the organization in 2015. Growing up in Greenwich Farm, Kingston Jamaica his father being the owner of a small sound system influenced his introduction into the world of music. Cliffy would often accompany him to play at small parties in their area in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s.

Migrating to Canada in 1980 Clifford took his small vinyl collection with him (albeit with nothing to play them on). While in Canada he made contact with Winston"Bobby" Daley an older associate from Greenwich Farm and ardent vinyl record collector living in Detroit. On weekends Clifford often made trips to Detroit to hang out but often would end up in the kitchen whilst Bobby and his friends went record hunting expeditions. On their return he would receive whatever ”brukings” (Jamaican slang for extras) Bobby and his friends could spare him.  For “Cliffy” life as a real collector had begun.

He names Van McCoy as one of his favorite artiste.

Tony Cover - Connecticut - Director

Tony Cover is a “music lover” and an aspiring collector of rare but danceable music of all genres that evoke meaningful, memorable and personal events. He credits his early teenage and early adult years’ exposure to the music noted above to sound system operators such Billy’s Home Town Hi-Fi and Winston Blake of Merrritone. After migrating to New York, the “Carol Street” venue in Brooklyn with Denver Silvera (Jamusa), Chappy Stateside and Clinton Darling (Wheels) continued to shape his appreciation for the music and, a budding collection. For the later years, he credits his more nuanced and deeper understanding of the “structure of music” to a music class he took at Pace University and to the continued association with collectors Par Excellence - Paul Hutton, Lloyd Francis (Frano) and Peter Stewart (Soul Guru) of South Florida.

Tony’s association with the Vinyl Record Collectors Association is not driven solely by the camaraderie and exposure to a family of world-class vinyl record collectors, rather, it relates to the organization’s high degree of social consciousness and dedication to helping the less fortunate.

Tony’s favorite tune is “Again” by Arthur Prysock, his favorite writer/composer is Van McCoy and favorite female vocalist is Gladys Knight.

“When you get hit with music, you feel no pain, play on, and give me excess of it!”

Tony became a member of the VRCA team in 2014.

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