Foxy’s Bar turns 50; ‘The man above is good to me’- Philiciano O. Callwood
In an exclusive interview with our newsroom on Sunday March 18, 2018 Foxy, as usual, was entertaining, a historian and told it like he sees it, once he chose to speak on the topic of the question.
He loves the sister island of Jost van Dyke (JvD) where he was born and proudly proclaimed that he is a seventh generation of that island.
When asked how he started out he told the story of a friend of his from St Thomas who asked him around 1964-65 to use a booth Mr Callwood owned to sell food while he [Mr Callwood] sells drinks and play music.
Mr Callwood said he had to travel to St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands to get more material to make the shed at the time (not at his current location) acceptable.
He said the response then was very encouraging, as many persons traveled from St Thomas to support his early beach bar, located further down from his current location.
Current location from 1968
Foxy said from there he saved up enough and in 1968 moved to his current located in Little Harbour, on Jost van Dyke and the rest is now history 50 years later.
Sitting with his signature bare feet, he said “I never set out to make money, but just to have a good time.”
He said he traveled far and wide to find his wife who he married in 1971 and they produced 3 children. Mr Callwood had 4 other children before his marriage.
At his current location of Foxy’s Bar, which will be marking its 50th anniversary with a big celebration this Saturday March 24, 2018, Mr Callwood said “the man above have been good to me, my cup is full and running over.”
He admitted over the years, it has been a challenge as “sometimes I cannot get the people of Jost van Dyke to commit to the preservation of the island.”
When asked why he does not wear shoes, he said because growing up his shoes used to be “very uncomfortable and sometimes they used to squeeze my feet.” In 2009 Foxy was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. When asked if he wore shoes to the 2010 ceremony in London, he said he did “but I cut out the soles of the shoes.”
JvD is Foxy Island
During the short interview on Sunday March 18, 2018 as we sat in plain view in front of the bar, we were interrupted many times by visitors to Foxy’s Bar who wanted to take a photo or two with the cultural icon. He said seven days a week, twelve months a year, once he is on the island, “people want to take my picture” and the harbour is always filled with boaters “coming to see me or coming to the bar.”
He entertains many of the guests with his guitar and his famous singing and rhyming tunes, most often made up depending on the moment. Hardly a visitor wants to leave JvD unless they visit the world renown Foxy’s Bar or have a photo taken with the man himself.
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10 Responses to “Foxy’s Bar turns 50; ‘The man above is good to me’- Philiciano O. Callwood”
As a young man in the Entrepreneurship world and in the tourism sector, Foxy is truly an inspiration to my life, knowing it didn’t happen overnight but with hard work, dedication, support of wins and lost. Foxy is truly the emperor of tourism and well deserved, one day I’m hoping to even be recognized as a prince in tourism industry. Nevertheless with hard work, honest and putting lots of smiles on other people faces soon or later it will pay off. I happy to have spent time with him and looking forward in spending more time with him.......
Carry on Foxy!