Ernie Smith’s thanksgiving service in Florida on May 16

The official celebration of life for reggae legend Glenroy ‘Ernie’ Smith – who would have turned 81 years old today – will be held on Saturday, May 16, at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Hollywood, Florida, the state where Smith resided with his wife, Claudette. Importantly, however, there are also plans for a service of thanksgiving to be held in Jamaica at a date to be announced.

“Ernie loved Jamaica,” Claudette emphasised. “And he had specific wishes for an occasion such as this. Even before he took sick, we discussed this, and he made it very clear what he wanted, and Jamaica is a big part of that.”

The Ride On, Sammy singer, who passed away on April 16 in a hospital in Florida, wanted his body to be cremated, and his wish will be granted.

“So, at the service, there won’t be a body or anything like that. Ernie also wanted, at some point, that his ashes be scattered in the sea off the coast in Ocho Rios, [St Ann], so that will be done,” Claudette told The Gleaner.

“Another non-negotiable was that he did not want to be hooked up to any machine, just to lie there and not be able to interact with people around him,” she added, sharing that in his final days, he had been on a ventilator, but was responsive.

For his birthday, this evening, some of his friends in Florida are planning to get together to have drinks, play some of Ernie Smith’s timeless songs and just remember the great person, friend, singer, songwriter, musician and storyteller par excellence.

“Glenroy and I ... I rarely call him ‘Ernie’ ... didn’t have any discussions about this particular birthday. Since last July, he has been having a barrage of medical issues, so it was getting him to this specialist, and that doctor, doing tests, dialysis and the whole works. It was a health journey, but in the midst of it all, he was still doing his music. He would never complain,” Claudette said.

The music that he was doing involved working on a new album, which will be released posthumously.

A dominant figure in the music industry from the decade of the ‘60s, Ernie Smith’s impactful voice caressed the lyrics of several number-one singles, firmly entrenching him in the hearts of many Jamaicans. Among those who paid tribute to the foundation singer upon his passing was Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, who fondly recalled that “Ernie Smith, with his booming voice and cleverly crafted lyrics, was a favourite at home and abroad”.

“We know that he had thoughts of being a radio announcer, but music got hold of him, and the legacy he leaves confirms that he made the right choice between the radio studio and the recording studio. Ernie Smith has surely earned his place among the best proponents of Jamaican music,” Grange stated.

Claudette noted that for her husband, music was just his calling, and she spoke lovingly of his humility, his love for the simple life, and for always having his ears to the ground as far as Jamaican life and its uniqueness were concerned.

“If he had something to say about social issues, he would say it in songs ... and in a humorous way too. He would be out on a street and [see] a situation and he would say ‘Claudette, that’s lyrics, that’s a song right there’. He was in the limelight, and he knew how to operate in those circles, but he never sought it. He lived a simple life. And because of that innocence, people took advantage of him, and he knew it. But it was really music that mattered,” she shared.

She even mentioned that Ernie Smith loved country music and started out wanting to be a country music singer and writer. And, through his friends, he was able to live that dream.

“He has a group of musician friends in Rhode Island, and every year he would go up to Rhode Island, and they would do a few gigs together, and they would record as well. His friend Dave Turano ... I [can’t] stop talking about David because he was instrumental in Ernie’s career, whether he was in the dumps or whether he was on a musical high. They did tours together ... they recorded together. When he and David and David’s band got together, they just rocked.”

Ernie Smith is known for hits such as Duppy Gunman, Life is Just for Living, Pitta Patta, Elsaida, All For Jesus, Key Card and Play De Music.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com