Hortense credits brother Alton Ellis for musical guidance

 Veteran singer Hortense Ellis has credited her brother, reggae legend Alton Ellis, for guiding her early steps in music. Reflecting on her journey, she shared that Alton, who began singing before her, offered invaluable advice that helped shape her style. “Alton gave me a lot of instructions on how to sing,” she said, acknowledging his role as both mentor and inspiration in her development as one of Jamaica’s most beloved stage performers.

Published Friday, July 26, 1974

Hortense Ellis: ‘Woman of the ghetto’

Hortense Ellis signalled her return to the Jamaican stage last Sunday with a splendid performance that showcased the artistry she has developed over fifteen years on stage. Hortense was in Canada between last December and January of this year, during which time she appeared at several leading venues in Toronto. She is planning to return there in late September.
Her latest performance on the island was on Tony Mark's Talent Show at the Ward Theatre on Sunday, where she had the audience singing along with her all the way to “Woman of the Ghetto,” probably her biggest seller to date.
Hortense has never been a major recording star; however, it is her stage appearances that have made her reputation, and she remains in the minds of many as “The Queen of Jamaican Music.”
She thinks of herself as "just another Jamaican female singer.” She is from Western Kingston and attended Ebenezer School on Darling Street. From an early age, she was a favourite among her fellow students and always pleased them with her singing at concerts.

Three Firsts
Hortense made her first stage appearance at the Ambassador Theatre and won three first-place awards on the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour talent shows held there. Her brother, Alton Ellis – himself a leading Jamaican entertainer – was her earliest mentor. She won ten first-place awards in all on the Vere Johns shows. “Alton gave me a lot of instructions on how to sing,” she said. “He was singing before me. He gained his experience before me, but I went to the Vere Johns Show before him.”
Speaking about other female singers on the island, she said shyly, “I just like singing, and I don’t think myself better than anyone; that’s for the people to decide.”
Currently, she is recording with Channel One Records and has done some tunes with Derrick Morgan. She is planning to do more shows and recordings, but for the time being, Hortense just thinks of herself as another “Woman from the Ghetto” doing her own thing.
 

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