Racist thug launched attack on Earth, Wind And Fire star

Racist thug launched attack on Earth, Wind And Fire star while calling him ‘Stormzy’ and a ‘black c***’ as musician queued for nightclub in his new home town of Aberystwyth

• Morris ‘Mo’ Pleasure, 60, was attacked at the Pier Pressure nightclub on April 3 
• He was slapped on the head and suffered racial insults while entering the club 
• Hefin Parker, 25, was charged with racially aggravated common assault 
• Parker was jailed for 26 weeks to run alongside his existing prison sentence

A racist thug launched a nightclub attack on a star from top band Earth, Wind and Fire – calling him ‘Stormzy’ and a ‘black c***.’

Hefin Parker, 25, shouted racist slurs at music legend Morris ‘Mo’ Pleasure, 60, while he queued for a nightclub in a Welsh seaside town.

A court heard Mr Pleasure – who also played with Michael Jackson and the Average White Band – was slapped on the head outside the club at 1.45am.

He turned around to find Parker shouting abuse at him in front of Mr Pleasure’s two horrified sisters-in-law in the seaside town of Aberystwyth, Mid Wales.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said: ‘He felt someone hit him on the back of the head. They hit him with an open palm slap.

‘He had never seen the defendant before and had no knowledge of him.’

Despite playing at glamorous venues all over the world, Mr Pleasure moved to the seaside town of Aberystwyth more than two years ago to be with his wife, singer Kedma Macias, who grew up there, and he has described it as a ‘magical place’.

Earth, Wind and Fire star Morris Pleasure, 60, who also played with Michael Jackson and the Average White Band, was slapped on the head outside a club at Club in Aberystwyth, north Wales, in the early hours of April 3

Hefin Parker, 25, shouted racist slurs before carrying out the attack on Mr Pleasure

Parker has now been jailed for 26 weeks to run alongside his existing prison sentence, along with £300 compensation to the victim

Mr Pleasure (pictured right, with Ed Sheeran on left) is a well respected music producer and has worked with artists such as Ray Charles, Najee, George Duke, Marion Meadows, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Peter Cetera and David Foster.

Despite playing at glamorous venues all over the world, Connecticut-born Mr Pleasure, 60, moved to the seaside town of Aberystwyth more than two years ago to be with his wife, singer Kedma Macias, who grew up there

Magistrates in Aberystwyth heard Mr Pleasure turned around to hear Parker calling him ‘Stormzy’ outside the Pier Pressure club on Royal Pier.

He was then bombarded with racial slurs calling him a ‘n*****’ and ‘black c***’ multiple times on April 3 this year.

Miss Tench said: ‘He was the only black person in the vicinity and so states that the defendant’s words must have been aimed at him.’

The court heard door supervisors at the club stepped in to stop the confrontation before Parker was escorted away.

LEGENDS OF DISCO, FUNK AND SOUL: HOW EARTH, WINS AND FIRE DEFINED AN ERA

Earth, Wind and Fire circa 1970

Earth, Wind and Fire were among the most iconic disco bands of the 1970s, appearing regularly on shows such as Soul Train and Top of the Pops.

Their hits including ‘September’, ‘Let’s Groove’, ‘After The Love Has Gone’ and ‘Boogie Wonderland’ sold over 90million records worldwide.

The group was founded in Chicago in 1969 by baritone singer Maurice White, whose deep vocals partnered with Philip Bailey’s falsetto created a distinctive sound.

The band has won four Grammys, and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame.

Their music has also been covered by the likes of Whitney Houston, D’Angelo, Donny Osmond, Patti LaBelle, Taylor Swift, Olly Murs, Kirk Franklin, Wynonna Judd and Maxine Nightingale.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Pleasure said he now fears he is a ‘target’ in the town after suffering another incident of racist abuse.

He said: ‘I feel constantly on guard and worried for the safety of myself and my family.’

The court heard Parker was identified after a police officer recognised him on CCTV images along with two people who saw the appeal on Facebook.

Parker, of Aberystwyth, appeared via videolink from prison to plead guilty to racially aggravated common assault.

The court heard he is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for attacking other people after calling himself the ‘Aber Murder Crew.’

Chair magistrate Mr Haydn Davey said: ‘There was extensive and extremely hurtful racial abuse.’

Parker was sentenced to 26 weeks to run concurrently with his existing prison sentence. He was ordered to pay £300 in compensation.

Mr Pleasure is the current musical director of Bette Midler. He has also collaborated with artists such as Ray Charles, Najee, George Duke, Marion Meadows, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Peter Cetera and David Foster

Mr Pleasure was out with two sisters of his wife Kedma Macias in the Pier Pressure club on Royal Pier when he was attacked.

At the time of the attack in April, Mo said: ‘It was a deeply upsetting experience.

‘Aberystwyth is a magical place that has become home for my family over the last year and a half. The people of Aber have been so welcoming to me and the support I’ve had since this incident happened has been overwhelming.

‘My wife and I have a little girl so we feel we have a responsibility to call out racism when we see and hear it, with the hope that our daughter doesn’t have to come across this type of abuse in her life.’

The couple, who have a one-year-old daughter, thanked the community for their support.

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