John ‘Chippie’ Chipman

Portrait of John 'Chippie' Chipman
John 'Chippie' Chipman by Duke Wells

John “Chippie” Chipman is a legend in Bahamian entertainment.

His career started in the 1950s when he got his first job as a waiter at the legendary Paul Meeres Club.

There, he developed a skill for drumming and worked his way up from waiter to world-class entertainer – a career that served him well for over 60 years and took him around the globe as an ambassador of the Bahamas.

Chippie was also involved in the development of Junkanoo during the 1950s.

His group – Chippy and the Boys – was the first to use crêpe paper costumes and the first to include women.

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