It's funny how you can grow up poor but still be rich with love and culture. Lionel spend his formative years running and playing in the gaps of New Orleans, St. Michael, Barbados. He felt blessed to be exposed to professional musicians at an early age like Richard Stoute, Lew Drayton and also De Opels. He took note of the incredible songwriting ability of Sparrow and his ability to get what he was thinking across to the people.
He took that West Indian vibe with him when he moved to Hartford, Connecticut in 1970, and hooked up with the "Standing Ovations" a teenage R&B /Funk band. "Bassist, Mike Foy allowed me to join the band because of my love for music, and to get me out of the house" according to Lionel.
Lionel primarily played percussion and drums, but quickly gravitated to the guitar. He incorperated the Calypso style of strumming into his playing.
He worked with several Hartford groups before getting the nod from Earl Calloway, leader of the Funk band "Pok' Chop" which played the New England College and club circuit. Pok' Chop's name was changed to Pressure Point and Lionel honed his performing, arranging, songwriting and music production skills with them, playing concerts and doing studio work.During the period from 1976 to 1980, he attended the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree while studying with Sculptor Wolfgang Beal, Figure modeling and drawing with Lloyd Glasson and painting with Paul Zimmerman and Rudolph Zallinger. An accomplished artist, he has exhibited art in the US and abroad.While attending the University of Hartford, Lionel took world renouned Jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean's Afro American Music studies class and Jazz ensemble with instructor Paul Jeffries. It was through Jackie that he was able to hear life stories of jazz musicians, told in their own words, as part of the Afro-American Music Studies (Visiting Musicians) Program.Lionel wrote and arranged the first recording by Presasure Point, "I'll Make It Worth Your while" which featured Pat Thompson and appeared on the WHCN homegrown Album in 1977. He also wrote, arranged and produced "Come Inside" for Pressure Point in 1981. After Pressure Point disbanded, Lionel released his first solo recording, the Soca song "Crop Over" in 1984, under the name Teecha. "Take Control" followed in 1992. The single, "It's A Family Thing", released in 1995, featured Pat Thompson.In 1996, Lionel released his first solo album entitled "Bridge In The Gap" on which he wrote, arranged produced and performed all the material except for a few voice samples. His guitar work can be heard throughout the album, but his solo work on the cuts "Bridge In The Gap" and "Big Money" are indicative of his emotional playing style.In 2000, he welcomed the opportunity to work with Barbadian recording artist Lew Drayton from the Draytons Two by arranging and producing several songs including "Evelyn" and "Kadooment Morning" for Mr. Drayton.Lionel continues to create, produce and perform music and can also be heard on Trinity College Radio WRTC 89.3FM Sundays from 2pm to 3:30pm on the Love International / Caribbean Togetherness show hosted by Teecha, Spin Doctor, Steve Love, Big O and Wasine.