Renowned Jamaican singer Jimmy Tucker, who was often lauded as Jamaica’s first singing sensation, as died.
Tucker passes away on Tuesday at his home in Fayetteville, Georgia. He was 80 years old.
Tucker’s wife of 53 years, Janet, confirmed his death, noting that there had been a decline in his health in recent times.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange extended condolences to Tucker’s and said that Jamaica has lost another great talent.
“We remember Jimmy as a child soprano, who came from a singing family in Trench Town in Kingston and who developed into one of Jamaica’s most heralded exponents of patriotic songs. He was famous for his renditions of songs such as ‘Jamaica Land of Beauty’, and ‘Jamaica Arise’ and came to be regarded as the ‘voice’ of the Jamaica National Anthem,” Grange said.
“Jimmy was considered a patriot and we will not easily forget his rich contribution to our music for which he was fittingly rewarded with a Silver Musgrave Medal.”
The People’s National Party also paid tribute to Tucker in a statement which read, “ The passing of singing sensation Jimmy Tucker, whose soaring tenor once warmed our nation, is a great loss for Jamaica. A scholar and progressive thinker, Jimmy Tucker was a true comrade, who ennobled the PNP’s journey, with his sterling version of its timeless anthem, Jamaica Arise.”
Other well-known songs by Tucker include “Have Faith” and “Sweet as a Dream”, written by Jamaica’s Clyde Hoyte in the 1950s.
One of the highlights of his early career was when he sang for Nat King Cole at the Colony Club in Kingston at the age of 11 years-old in 1953. Tucker was also the singer to be awarded an educational scholarship by the Government of Jamaica, in 1956.
Jimmy Tucker is also survived by son Jonathan, and daughter Carla Duncan. His nephew is popular Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser.
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