Ernie Smith dies at 80

The music fraternity is mourning the passing of legendary singer Ernie Smith, who died on Thursday evening at a hospital in Florida.

“He’s gone. He’s no longer with us,” his wife, Claudette Bailey-Smith, told The Gleaner.

Earlier on Thursday, Bailey-Smith had shared that the beloved reggae and folk singer, who underwent surgery on Sunday, had been experiencing health challenges since June last year.

“That surgical procedure had to do with an intestinal issue. He is now stable, and [since Wednesday] he has been a little bit more alert and responding to commands. He opened his eyes fully for the first time since Sunday, and I asked him to squeeze my hand, and he squeezed it strong,” Bailey-Smith, his wife of three years, shared at the time.

She stated, however, that the Life is Just for Living singer was still not yet out of the woods and required another procedure.

Later that day, however, the All for Jesus singer took his final breath.

His wife praised the hospital staff for the excellent care that was given to the iconic singer and thanked those who reached out with their prayers and well-wishes.

Joanna Marie Robinson, a member of Smith’s management team, said that “Ernie Smith was a true treasure to Jamaica and to the world.

“Today, we mourn not only the loss of a legendary artiste, but also the loss of a remarkable man whose warmth, wisdom, and spirit touched so many lives,” Robinson, who is the wife of singer Ed Robinson, told The Gleaner.

Ernie Smith began his music career in the late 1960s. By 1971, he found success with the songs Bend Down and Ride on Sammy. Among his well-loved hits are Pitta Patta, Duppy Gunman and Key Card. In 1972, he won the Yamaha Music Festival in Japan with Life Is Just For Living, a song originally written for a Red Stripe commercial. In 1973, he was awarded the Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service in the Field of Music by the Jamaican government. The award recognised his contribution to Jamaica’s cultural heritage.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com