Hortense Ellis - FileHORTENSE ELLIS, one of Jamaica's leading pop singers of yesteryear, died on Thursday, at Kingston Public Hospital. Sources say, she was suffering from a stomach ailment and had to be re-hospitalised after being released last week.
Michael Barnett of MKB Production, promoters of Heineken Startime, on which she has appeared in recent years, expressed regret at her passing.
"I am truly saddened by this.
"I spoke to her last Thursday and she told me that she had been in the hospital for a little while. She wanted tickets for the next show to give to the doctors and nurses, whom she said were very nice to her.
"We didn't get into details of what was wrong, but I know she had left the hospital. I was really shocked when I heard she had died," he told The Gleaner.
Hortense Ellis is the sister of rock steady icon Alton Ellis with whom she recorded a number of collaborations in early years.
The mother of 14 children, Hortense Ellis, gave of her best at every Startime event.
"She was a very good singer and she always sought to put her total energy into her performances," said Barnett.
He added that perhaps her only disappointment in life was that she was never given the level of recognition she sought.
"She was very humble and easy-going, but she was never given due recognition nor rewards in the music business. Phyllis Dillon told me that Hortense was the person she tried to emulate, when she started singing. One always got the impression that Hortense wanted more," said Barnett.
Hortense Ellis was Jamaica's first local-based female singing star. She was voted Best Female Singer in 1964.
Among the songs which made her popular were Unexpected Places, Woman Of The Ghetto, Superstar, Down The Aisle and Something You Got, which was recorded with Alton Ellis.
Andrew Clunis
