‘Deninee Campbell touched us with her life’
JAMAICANS, mostly from the entertainment industry, filled the University Chapel yesterday morning to collectively celebrate the life of Deninee Campbell who died at the age of 50 on July 26 after a short illness.
“She has touched us with her life, her relationships, with her gift, she has touched us at some point,” said Rev Ernle Gordon in his homily. “We can only give God thanks for the life of such a person.”
Campbell was a woman who wore many hats — a former Jamaica Information Service employee, print journalist, show promoter and tour manager of the successful Reggae Sunsplash world tours during the mid-1980s.
Under her watch, the Sunsplash tour stops included cities in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Thailand. She also played an integral role in the staging of the local leg of the reggae festival.
Described as an earthy individual, Campbell also served as manager for the Grammy Award-winning reggae group, Black Uhuru, and has worked with many top reggae artistes.
Campbell, who had a close bond with nature, used her St Andrew home as the headquarters of an exotic fish farm where she tended to thousands of various types of tropical fish.
Noted entertainer, Tommy Cowan, who gave the remembrance, described Campbell as “a true friend who spoke from the heart. She was a mother to everybody”.
A highlight of the thanksgiving service was the excellence with which soloist, Caroline Waugh, delivered a rendition of the classic hymn, How Great Thou Art, which brought a round of applause from the congregation.
A smiling Rastafarian drummer also paraded through the chapel during the singing of the hymn, Do Lord, Oh Do Lord.
Among those who attended the thanksgiving ceremony were Winston “Merritone” Blake, Stephen “Cat” Coore, Michael “Ibo’ Cooper, Freddy McGregor, Mallory Williams, Nadine Sutherland, Lloyd Lovindeer, former members of parliament Colin Campbell and Arnold “Scree” Bertram, as well as Delano Franklyn, the minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
A scholarship to the Edna Manley School of Music will be established to honour Campbell’s life.
She is survived by husband Charles, son Chalik, and daughter Tarik.
