By Azara Lavia
Veteran broadcasters made an appearance on the “Connecting with Dave Lester Payne” show on Monday to reflect on the life and legacy and of a prominent businessman, the late Ivor GT Bird who died earlier this month.
Also known as “The Silent One”, Bird was a media pioneer in Antigua and Barbuda, who founded ZDK Liberty Radio 97.1 FM in 1970, which contributed significantly to the media landscape and the nation’s cultural and political discourse.
Their heartfelt reflections painted a vivid picture of a man remembered not just as a leader but as a mentor, motivator, and friend.
Listeners were treated to personal anecdotes that highlighted Bird’s charisma, work ethic, and thoughtful leadership.
Sly J, also known as “The Chief Rocker” credited Bird for launching his career as a media personality. “I remember one day, you see that Doc Mad? He’s strong, he’s smart. I don’t know how in the world he lifted me up and pushed me inside of Ivor Bird’s office — and he can’t even lift up his phone, but God gave him that strength that day when he lifted me up and pushed me inside of Ivor Bird’s office with a recording and said: ‘well, he’s the one that came to take over from Alvin G’, and the stuff started to play. [Ivor] heard a voice and he heard the announcing on the tape, and he said ‘tarl, who is it?’ And I said, me. He said, ‘you, and you rolling here so long, boy? Look, go inside there and read this here, let me hear what it sounds like’. Ivor Bird, he just saw it one time like that.”
Meanwhile, Dave Lester Payne shared a poignant memory, expressing dissatisfaction with his gruelling work schedule while employed at ZDK as a news presenter and how Bird stepped in and adjusted his hours.
“Ivor was always there; [he] was the kind of guy that makes certain that you fit in. Julian Rogers was there, [and] I went to Mr Bird and I said, ‘Mr Bird, this guy have me coming to work from 6 in the morning until after 9 at night, reading news’.
“So Ivor Bird called Julian and said, ‘Dave is going to go on the air from blah, blah, blah’, because I told him I’m going to quit. Everybody came in and left at 6 o’clock in the morning and leaving me but it was all good because it made you a better person and Ivor Bird was always a friend … always a friend.”
Maxine Allen described how Bird went beyond traditional boundaries in the media industry, allowing team members who were not trained broadcasters to go on air, offering them an opportunity to grow and develop their potential.
“He didn’t have a miserable bone in his body, so we were able to do things,” she said. “One of the things that he did that I really enjoyed, every year when there was an anniversary, he’d put people from behind the scene on the radio, the receptionists and so on. Everybody had a show. So the on-air announcer got a break, but it was really, really nice. Everybody came and did their thing. You know, it seemed as if that sharpened us to do better.”
Bird passed away at his home on December 3, 2024. He led ZDK Radio and Sun FM for several decades. He was the son of the “Father of the Nation” Sir VC Bird Sr, and brother to former Prime Minister Sir Lester Bird and the late Vere Bird Jr.
