For a time during the 1970s, Glen Ricks was on the verge of realising the promise he showed a decade earlier as a member of The Fabulous Flames. Then came a precipitous fall from grace due to a chronic drug problem.

Now in his early 70s, Ricks insists he has shaken the monkey from his back, thanks to extensive rehabilitation in Jamaica. He has also resumed his career, recording a number of songs for Wildfire Records out of Philadelphia.

The latest of those can be heard on ‘Champions In Action’, a 23-song compilation released on July 24. He has two songs on it — ‘Change Is Gonna Come – Yes It Will’ and ‘Knock’.

“If I don’t make music, then I would beg the Almighty to take me from the Earth. Life without music would mean nothing,” said Ricks recently.

The veteran artiste credits his new lease on life to comprehensive rehabilitation at Patricia House, a leading treatment center for addicts in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. For many years, that facility has been linked to the Gregory Isaacs Foundation, which makes regular donations to fund its programmes.

Ricks said he spent six months at Patricia House and has been clean for over one year.

“My last two weeks in rehab, I wrote 42 songs, some of them are gospel. I feel great now, I wasted a lot of my life on drugs but this is the best I’ve felt in years,” he stated.

Since completing rehab, Ricks has recorded songs for producers such as Tristan Palmer, Anthony Cameron and Earl Messam, principal of Wildfire Records.

Born Glen Ricketts in Kingston, Ricks migrated with his family to Toronto, Canada in 1966. With The Fabulous Flames, which included Lloyd Lovindeer, he had a big hit three years later with ‘Holly Holy’, a reggae cover of Neil Diamond’s song.

The success of that track opened doors for Ricks, who recorded two albums for CBS Canada. Those records impressed American soul singer/producer Donny Hathaway with whom he worked during the mid-1970s.

During the early 1980s, Ricks enjoyed some chart action with the ballad, ‘Heart of my World’, and a cover of Hathaway’s Yuletide classic, ‘This Christmas’.

He admits his long struggle with substance abuse blurred a promising career, but Ricks is adamant there is no turning back.

“The Father let me see certain things and set me straight. I’ve written so many songs in the past year, and I’m looking forward to good things,” he said.

(Photo contributed)