Beresford Dawkins

Beresford Dawkins, born in Birmingham in 1960 to Jamaican parents, has an extensive history in music ministry, promotion, and community project leadership

Growing up in a disciplined, faith-centric environment in Lozells, his musical journey began around age 12, captivated by church guitarists like Caleb (“Dolphus”) Clark. Despite his father initially pushing him toward piano, his mother bought him a guitar, leading him to jam with his brother Delroy and incorporate influences from Chic, Earth, Wind & Fire, and rock music into his church playing.

A formative period began in 1977 when he met other musicians at a youth camp, including Trevor, Lesburn, and Glenn Prince. Beresford, captivated by their sound, often cycled to Moseley for their rehearsals, deepening his musical appreciation. This friendship led to the formation of the Shiloh Band, which Beresford describes as “more than just musicians” focused on sound quality and led by Trevor. Shiloh was groundbreaking for its “protocol-breaking” mix of New Testament (Fitz McIntyre, Gladstone Wilson) and Prophecy (Trevor, Tony Bean) musicians, effectively transcending the inter-denominational barriers that church leadership initially resisted. A watershed moment came during a performance where the “Spirit of God” moved powerfully, confirming their work as “authentic worship.”

This success spurred Beresford toward professional promotion, frustrated by the church’s lack of appreciation for music ministry. He, along with John Campbell and Del White, created “The Well,” a monthly gospel show in Birmingham intended to take gospel music to larger, secular venues. “The Well” became a vital platform, featuring a core band of Vindell Watson, Steve Campbell, Trevor Prince, and Ian Reid. Despite initial church resistance, “The Well” grew organically, pioneering the combination of Christian comedy and gospel music, and promoting major American artists like Fred Hammond and Commissioned.

A significant achievement in his promoting career was successfully negotiating for American artists to play with a British backing band, breaking the precedent of imported entourages and paving the way for future UK collaborations. Beresford also managed the group New Life, who toured with Dawkins & Dawkins and won MOBO awards.

He later transitioned to artist management, working with New Life (who toured with Earth, Wind & Fire) and PSI, successfully negotiating for them to be paid for supporting secular acts, a groundbreaking achievement. Beresford also helped develop gospel radio and produced the Soul Stirring album. He attributes much of the early band’s success to the leadership qualities of Trevor Prince and remains committed to the professional advancement of gospel ministry.