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A blue plaque has been unveiled in Peckham, south London to one of the pioneers of British jazz. Frank Bates, who's from Barbados, was lead singer of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra and lost his life along with eight others in the SS Rowan sea disaster of 1921. Historically it's been referred to as the 'black' Titantic. The SSO had 27 musicians, 19 singers from around the world including New Orleans, Guyana, Barbados, and Ghana. The orchestra was a huge hit in Europe. The Prince of wales, future King Edward VIII, invited them to play at Buckingham Palace. Frank Bates' granddaughter Juliet Jones has been instrumental in getting their story told. In this clip she tells Â鶹Éç London's Dotun Adebayo the significance of the plaque's location in Peckham.
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