Greetings one and all,
Like many others, news of the passing of Papa Pilgrim came as a 
shock and surprise to me as well. In the early days of RAW, Pilgrim 
would trod down to mi little culture shop in Salt Lake City, to gather and 
send faxes to the first members of the organization. During that time, 
his companion of the time Kate also worked behind the counter for me, 
helping to spread the reggae vibe behind the Zion curtain. 

In those days, Pilgrim would often drop in and simply chat about reggae 
music and new artists he had received promotional materials from, in 
hopes that we could carry their recordings in the shop for sale.

It was Pilgrim who introduced me to the late Alric Forbes, who was 
launching a solo career with "World Pride". That album became one of 
my all-time best selling recordings, and made me a shiney nickle. Then 
one day, to my surprise, Pilgrim escorted Mr. Forbes to mi little shop, 
where we spent several hours meeting customers and promoting a live 
concert in Salt Lake City.

Pilgrim was always doing that sort of ting, networking on behalf of the 
new (and many times older veterans) and the lesser-known artists of 
the reggae scene. Pilgrim was constantly on the move in town, where 
reggae culture was not part of the mainstream, to talk up these artists 
who had no corporate marketing department or major distribution 
system, looking for a place that would sell the music, or provide a 
venue for a touring band. 

Nearly always, Pilgrim would strut through town in his missionirie 
uniform, silver locks and an army surplus jacket, and a toothpick.

I remember several times visiting Pilgrim at his home and office, where 
he collected and catalogued his obscure reggae samples and 
promotional copies. There was always some new recording going with 
a long story about the artist behind the music. Often, these stories 
were about American or Stateside reggae artists, which was his niche. 
His office was very maticulously organized, yet had a relaxed 
atmosphere about it. The music was never blarring, but at just the right 
volume.

I also knew Pilgrim as a local reggae master of ceremonies. This is 
another way that the youth in Salt Lake City connected with Pilgrim, 
this is how they got to see the man behind the microphone. It was 
rather funny to see Pilgrim on stage behind the mic, it was a different 
Pilgrim than who you would ever meet in person. Pilgrim would always 
say that he didn't like the limelight, but expected to be the MC at any 
reggae concert, and usually found his way there even if he wasn't 
asked up front. Many times he would tell stories while standing at the 
mic, and would make promoters cringe, but mainly, he was a good 
ambassador for the culture by being there for all of the young fans. I 
recall working as a stage hand for many of those shows in the early to 
mid 1990's.

Pilgrim was always a gentleman.

Later in my association with Pilgrim, I became part of the Wednesday 
night reggae lineup at community radio KRCL, with mi own show, 
"Slick Rock Reggae". I occupied the studio before Pilgrim's "Nite 
Roots" program. I would play the hits and the higher profile artists, 
which balanced Pilgrim's focus on American reggae and homegrown 
labels. 

Pilgrim was never a master of the controls. Many times, as we 
transitioned between shows, his tape would foul or the microphone 
would be left open revealing behind-the-scenes conversations for 
everyone in radioland to hear. His shows were always very well 
planned out, at least in theory, until the controls took over, or as we 
would say many times, "studio kinda cloudy", and then he would get 
into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, which would make 'em lose focus 
on which disc was playing next, or whether is was supposed to be the 
cd or a tape. That would often result in plenty dead air segments. 

Pilgrim would always open his shows with the rastafarian prayer from 
Ras Pidow.

Pilgrim introduced me to many a reggae artist, such as Winston 
Rodney (Burning Spear), Mutabaruka, Michael Rose and Garth 
Dennis, Jimmy Cliff, Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Sly Dunbar, Robbie 
Shakespear, Englishman (whom I spoke with just recently with the 
news of his passing), Ras Midas, the 8760 Band from Colorado, Rising 
Lion from the east coast, and others. It was Pilgrim who helped me 
arrrange interviews with some of these, because that was my interest, 
interviewing artists.

Two of my most memorable interviews involved Black Uhuru and 
Mutabaruka. The Black Uhuru interview became the basis of Salt Lake 
City's first reggae newsletter, my own production called "Tings and 
Times". Pilgrim supplied his top ten American Reggae recordings 
based on reports from radio stations and stores. About a year later, I 
met up with the reformed Black Uhuru band, and recall sitting on the 
tour bus chatting with an inspirational brother of the culture, who 
recommended that I "dread that red", referring to my long red hair. 
Shortly afterwards I did. So vicariously, it was Pilgrim who helped me 
reach that point in my life to carry locks.

The other interview worth remembering was with Mutabaruka. I recall 
meeting up with Muta at his motel room just before a gig in Salt Lake 
City. Pilgrim and Muta had just returned from a tour of the Mormon 
Temple Square. You can just imagine, Muta in his loose fit clothing, 
bare feet, and long locks strutting through Babylon's religious nerve 
center with a white man in long locks and an army jacket. No doubt, 
the mormon missionaries were looking for cover. Nowdays,  the 
Temple Square is crawling with men in black suits with funny lickle 
wires behind their ears, always on the lookout for subversives or 
potential terrorists. I wonder what their reaction would have been to the 
two of them after 9 11?

Despite his gentle nature, Pilgrim was sometimes very cynical.

Pilgrim was always interested in spreading the knowledge of the 
rastafarian way of living.Pilgrim would spend many evenings with local 
folks in reasoning sessions where rastafarian culture and thoughts 
were discussed. On one occasion, Pilgrim introduced a rasta disciple 
to a high school social studies class. While many of the youth 
appreciated hearing about the virtues of lambsbread, and the healing 
of the nation, the administration took a very dim view, and those 
special guest lectures were predictably banned from campus again. 
Pilgrim took pride in having gotten through to the youth and opening 
their minds to the culture -- he wasn't trying to promote an illegal 
activity -- and he was satified by the fact that many of the youth 
understood the message for its real intent. He would often laugh 
himself silly recalling the reaction of the suits and ties to the whole 
affair. (It was almost like an episode out of Ken Kesey's "One Flew 
Over The Cuckoo's Nest")

In his professional life, Pilgrim helped the disadvantaged and often-
times abused elderly population. That to me demonstrated his true 
nature, his concern for the well-being of others. Even in his 
professional life, where he would often work with the shitsdom, and the 
suit and ties, he maintained his cultural beliefs and worked within the 
shitsdom to affect change and positive outcomes. 

Pilgrim was a good listener.

Pilgrim and I both left KRCL as on-air hosts at nearly the same time. 
That left a void in reggae music culture in Salt Lake, but opened the 
door for a new generation of enthusiasts, who were inspired by Nite 
Roots and Papa Pilgrim. Our replacements had been avid listeners of 
Nite Roots. If you can imagine young teen-agers secretly tuning in their 
radios and taping Pilgrim's annual Herb Specials that would routinely 
last until 1:00am, that's the dedication that Pilgrim inspired in Utah for 
many years. In many ways, Pilgrim was a beacon of light for many 
oppressed youngsters, who were stiffled by the dominant religious 
culture. 

And yet, when many of the youth would call in to make requests, like 
Bob Marley or Lucky Dube, he would bluntly reply, "I don't take 
requests", or simply, "Who, ... never heard of him". It was his cynical 
way of trying to expand the youth's awareness of the wider reggae 
music scene. 

Pilgrim would often times trod down to the local city park near his home 
to catch the happenings at the Sunday drum circles. Though not a 
drummer himself, he would simply be there, and in some odd way, 
maintain his connection to many of the valley's youth.

Pilgrim's show was not made for the masses, but he certainly affected 
a mass audience. He will be missed.

In remeberance,
Jeff Salt
aka "Salt of the earth"
RAW number ??? (early teens at the time)