IT was a mixture of tears and laughter at the thanksgiving service for the life of Wayne 'Captain Barkey' Hamilton, held yesterday at the Hagley Park Seventh-day Adventist Church in St Andrew.

The deejay's widow, Mavis Hamilton, supported by her sister and niece, held her head high and made no apologies for loving the man who died in the company of another woman.

"Wayne Hamilton was the love of my life. I had the opportunity to keep him for myself but I sent him out to his fans and family so they could have him," she said to cheers from the congregation. "Irrespective of what he does, he is a man after my heart. I marry him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, I wear it with pride and dignity," she added.

Emotional tributes came from his musical partner Wickerman as well as singer Lukie D, who broke down during his rendition of Michael Jackson's Gone Too Soon.

Captain Barkey's daughter, Sashano, could not contain her tears as she stood by his glass coffin. His brother Otis Ellis relived some of their early years, relating a humorous story of Barkey singing "mi nuh waan none" as the food his mother cooked 'bubbled' on the fire.

There were no shortage of amusing anecdotes about the deejay who was shot, along with his lover, on October 13 at a New York motel.

Following the service, Captain Barkey's remains were interred at Up Park Camp, headquarters of the Jamaica Defence Force in which he served from 1983 to 1989.

Among those who attended the service were Jamaica Federation of Musicians president Desi Young, producer Gussie Clarke, promoter Isaiah Laing, artiste manager Claudette Kemp, artistes Stitchie, Nitty Kutchie, Josey Wales, Lexus, Ricky General, and Snagga Puss.