Monday 3 October 2016

Who on earth is Carlton Byrd?!

Ha! 'Ha!' Ha! / Right. All will be revealed, dear reader(s) ... RIGHT NOW! Carlton Byrd was the bass player in The Byrds. He's retired, but ... 'Are you sure about this, boss?' Yes, Voice, I am. I know my music. They were all called Byrd, you see. It was a gimmick. They had Carlton Byrd on bass, Joey Byrd on drums, Tommy Byrd on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and Ron Byrd on lead guitar. 'I don't think so, boss.' Oh yes, Voice. They were very big in the Sixties. There's nothing you can tell me about music. 'Well, what about finance? Because Carlton Byrd has just been hired by Actis in New York as a director in its investor development group.' Eh?! 'Actis!'

Actis is a leading investor in growth markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America. We deliver consistent, competitive returns, responsibly, through insights gained from trusted relationships, local knowledge and deep sector expertise. Founded in 2004, we have an unparalleled heritage in growth markets, set within a culture of active ownership. We currently manage US$6.3bn in assets, operating through 12 offices globally.

Well, well ... / This is very strange. Do you mean to say, man, that our Carlton has left music behind at his age to get involved in finance - ?!?! 'No. I mean to say that our Carlton has never been anywhere near a bass guitar. He's a finance guy.'

Carlton is an extremely capable leader, who is analytically brilliant, hard working, detail-oriented, and a strong team player with a positive ...

What's that? 'It's from LinkedIn.' Why does it peter out? 'I don't know. Boredom, maybe.' Well, he could be the leader of the band. 'He's a finance guy, boss. Leave it.'

Okay, well ... uh, obviously, I wish Mr Byrd the best of luck in this, uh, new job of his. I mean, er ... 'Fundraising and investor relations.' Well, yeah, I suppose. Obviously, we have no actual proof, dear reader(s), that he's never been anywhere near a bass guitar. However, I'm not going to go on about it.

It's his life, you know?

Bass guitar isn't the hardest instrument to play, sure, but ... it's a good lifestyle, being in a band, touring the world and that. There's nothing to be ashamed of.

And ... is a career in finance more "respectable" than music, these days? Come on, man!

But it's his life. Carlton has to find his own way. I won't interfere. I just think it's a shame, that's all.