Marvin "sweet Louie" Smith, Checkmates

[Guest veep1296]

Hi everybody,

I have just had a call from Dean Courtney to advise me that Sweet Louie of The Checkmates has passed away. He & Sonny Charles were working on a cruise ship and Sonny went to rouse him for the show to find he had passed.

The older Soul Sourcers will remember their massive hit "Black Pearl" on A&M and they did of couse record before that on Capitol.

Visitors to Las Vegas may well have seen them perform in one of the casinos which was their main income source for many a year. That is where we met them on a night out with Dean & Dave & Bev Moore. It is all the more poignant as only last year Louie was married , a wedding attended by amongst many dignatories a few Brits and their ladies (your truly, Steve Gainey, Hull and Gary Fields , Leeds ).

It was a memorable event indeed that afforded us to meet many other Vegas based artists.

He was a livewire of a character and will be sorely missed by his family , Sonny and all in Vegas..

Regards

David Ferguson

[Chalky]

Sad news coming thick and fast these days

R.I.P. Sweet Louie