Publisher Desc.  Alton Augustus Adams, born in the Virgin Islands in 1889, remains an iconic figure there. When the United States took over the islands in 1917, the new governor appointed Adams Chief Musician. The band that Adams assembled entered the U.S. Navy as a unit, making Adams the first black bandmaster to serve in the U.S. Navy. The Virgin Islands March was one of his most famous compositions. This was quickly adopted as the unofficial anthem for the Virgin Islands, but became the official anthem in 1963. Adams also was a prolific music journalist. He died in 1987.