Born Clement Ashley Banks in 1953, Bankie built his first guitar at ten and formed his first band by 1967, soaking up British Top 40 from a pirate radio station off the coast. His 1977 single "Prince of Darkness" became a Caribbean number one, and his 1978 debut album Roots and Herbs pioneered reggae in the Eastern Caribbean — the first Anguillan act to play Reggae Sunsplash. His sound — reggae, folk and jazz, with a raspy baritone often compared to Marley, Dylan and Sinatra — fills albums like Terrestrial Spirits, Island Boy and Chariots of Steel. In 2007 he brought Jimmy Buffett to play Dune Preserve, releasing the live album "Jimmy Buffett: Live In Anguilla." Since 2012 he's mentored a new generation of Anguillan artists — including his sons Omari and Olaide Banks, both carrying the family's musical legacy forward in their own way. His story is now told in the award-winning 2024 documentary "King of the Dune." He still plays at Dune Preserve most nights, on his own terms.