GOSPEL singer Minister Marion Hall (formerly Lady Saw) says she is grateful for the outpouring of sympathy she is receiving at the recent passing of her father.

“I want to just thank everyone who took the time to offer their condolences and kind words — thank you, thank you, thank you,” said Hall from her Florida base yesterday.

The singer’s dad, Lloyd Hall affectionately referred to as Mr Keith, died peacefully at his home in St Ann on Saturday. He was 78.

Hall described her St Mary-born dad as a staunch disciplinarian who wanted the best for his seven children.

“He was not perfect… But he would sew for us, plait our hair and cook for us. And like any father, he would protect his children. He was a proud and independent man, and when his health had deteriorated he did not want to be a burden to anyone and was ready to ‘cross over’. He was gracious, though. He appreciated the work of his caretaker, Angel, and thanked her. We, the family members, appreciate her too… The day before he died, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren went to look for him. I was on video call; we sang and prayed together… He was joyful that he saw us. I was told he passed away in peace with a smile on his face. My soul is at peace knowing he was prepared for his transition and had gotten baptised,” she continued.

Hall said while funeral preparations have not started, the elder Hall would be buried in the Trinity cemetery in St Mary.

Formerly the queen of dancehall, Minister Hall’s career has spanned more than 25 years. She is the first female deejay to be certified as a triple-platinum artiste and to win a coveted Grammy Award. That award came in 2004 for Underneath It All, alongside No Doubt.

Minister Hall was born in Galina, St Mary. She had her first local hit in the early 1990s with If Him Lef, followed by Find a Good Man. In August 1994 she released her first album entitled Lover Girl. However, by the mid-1990s she recorded more conscious songs like Condom and No Less Than a Woman.

Her other albums included Walk Out, Strip Tease, 99 Ways, Passion, Alter Ego, and Give Me A Reason.

She converted to Christianity in 2015 and has been walking the “straight and narrow” since.