KINGSTON, Jamaica – Reggae singer StaceyAnn knows what’s like to fight for her life. For over a year, she battled respiratory problems caused by COVID that brought her chillingly close to death’s door.

The spunky singer said she caught COVID for the third time in December 2022, and soon became deathly ill.

“I was hospitalised many times in the United States and had several specialised tests done and somehow doctors were not able to figure out what was wrong. I was even hospitalised in the Anotto Bay Hospital in Jamaica. This illness became my greatest fear: The fear of the unknown,” she shared.

Her fear heightened when she watched a woman take her last breath right next to her while hospitalised in at the Annotto Bay Hospital.

“There was nothing more the doctors could do. I cried and wondered is this going to be me? In that moment I chose to live. It was not an easy decision as it required advocating for myself; prayers, extensive research, lifestyle changes, swapping stories with others to find a cure, and collaborating with other doctors,” she recounted.

She thanked Dr Joseph Wilson (Jamaica), Dr Melissa Marballie, and Dr Roshan Bashir (United States) for their help and expertise, and it took almost two years before she  started feeling a sense of normalcy.

Her experience hardened her conviction to pursue her passion, music, once again.

“I had given up on music once before and I will never do it again. This year, I bring inspiration to others and circumstances never made me who I am. I am StaceyAnn, hear me roar!” she declared.

Her recent health challenges lend a potency to her latest release, the emotive powerhouse, “Life” (Choose to Stay).

Released in February, the single has been generating a buzz online because of the powerful lyrics and the outpouring of support from her circle of friends who knew of her near-death ordeal.

“The feedback I get from the song “Life” has been tears, literally, with  people crying when I perform the song live, because the song is the essence of joy and inspiration,” the artiste whose real name is Stacey Ann Mirander, said.

The single, ‘Life’, is available on all digital download platforms.

“I am overwhelmed by the support I am getting from friends and family members. I know l am an inspiration to others. I have been that way all my life. With music, it gives me the opportunity to continue inspiring others. I have had my experiences of life being beautiful, and life being hard. I have empathy for both perspectives,” she said.

StaceyAnn spent the first decade of her life in Marlie Mount, Old Harbour, St Catherine, before moving to Mitchell Town, Clarendon. She attended and graduated from Clarendon College, before completing her tertiary education at the University of Phoenix, United States.

She fell in love with music at six-years-old when her mom took her to a “Dub Club” performance at Old Harbour Primary School. She delivered an impromptu performance on the spot, wowing the adults. From there, she was hooked and she continued singing at crusades and events until she was 14-years-old.

Fast forward years later, and she started writing songs again in 2020. Her first published song which she co-wrote was “Love, Wonderful, Love” with Sanchez and others. It was featured on the album HeartCrafted.

She kicked off her solo career after being encouraged by producer Bulby York and Solomon “Triple Ess” Salmon into recording a song in the studio, “Hear Oh Lord”, which was released in April 2023 on Bulby York producer’s album “Time and Color.”

She enjoys being a performer, exploring the creative limits of her alter ego.

“Everyone has different sides to them. When I am performing I bring out a different version of me who is more self-expressive. I am an artiste who has a great passion for music, a rich musical palette dabbling with reggae with a mixture of world beats,” she said.

She is presently working on her debut EP.

“I am working on some vibrant and expressive music projects. I have upcoming performances as well. Stay tuned on my social media @staceymirander for more upcoming singles,” she said.