Jamaica Singer Jimmy Tucker, Voice of Jamaica’s Nationwide Anthem, Dies

Famend Jamaican singer Jimmy Tucker, who was typically lauded as Jamaica’s first singing sensation, as died.

Tucker passes away on Tuesday at his dwelling in Fayetteville, Georgia. He was 80 years outdated.

Tucker’s spouse of 53 years, Janet, confirmed his demise, noting that there had been a decline in his well being in current occasions.

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Minister of Tradition, Gender, Leisure and Sport, Olivia Grange prolonged condolences to Tucker’s and mentioned that Jamaica has misplaced one other nice expertise.

“We keep in mind Jimmy as a toddler soprano, who got here from a singing household in Trench City in Kingston and who developed into certainly one of Jamaica’s most heralded exponents of patriotic songs. He was well-known for his renditions of songs similar to ‘Jamaica Land of Magnificence’, and ‘Jamaica Come up’ and got here to be considered the ‘voice’ of the Jamaica Nationwide Anthem,” Grange mentioned.

“Jimmy was thought-about a patriot and we won’t simply overlook his wealthy contribution to our music for which he was fittingly rewarded with a Silver Musgrave Medal.”

The Folks’s Nationwide Celebration additionally paid tribute to Tucker in an announcement which learn, “ The passing of singing sensation Jimmy Tucker, whose hovering tenor as soon as warmed our nation, is a superb loss for Jamaica. A scholar and progressive thinker, Jimmy Tucker was a real comrade, who ennobled the PNP’s journey, along with his sterling model of its timeless anthem, Jamaica Come up.”

Different well-known songs by Tucker embody “Have Religion” and “Candy as a Dream”, written by Jamaica’s Clyde Hoyte within the Fifties.

One of many highlights of his early profession was when he sang for Nat King Cole on the Colony Membership in Kingston on the age of 11 years-old in 1953. Tucker was additionally the singer to be awarded an academic scholarship by the Authorities of Jamaica, in 1956.

Jimmy Tucker can also be survived by son Jonathan, and daughter Carla Duncan. His nephew is widespread Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser.

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