By Justin Whyte,
Entertainment Editor
John Jones and wife, Jean, in happier times.
IT WAS too sudden. I thought he was doing so well. John was greatly admired by all in the entertainment business. He will be a great loss..."
So said Pat Gooden, soprano singer, in reaction to the death of theatre and music personality John Jones, 53, who died at the University Hospital Monday night after suffering a heart attack.
CEO of First Graphics Commu-nications, DiMario McDowell, with whom John has performed since the early 1980s as a member of Father Ho Lung and Friends, sees his passing as a severe blow to the group and theatre in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
"I have never experienced such a loss before", he told The Gleaner.
"I look at his body three times Monday night. I pray God will give his wife Jean the strength to go on," he continued in a sad tone.
John was educated at Wolmer's Boys' School and the University of the West Indies, from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. And it was at the UWI that he and Pluto Shervington formed the band Tomorrow's Children. Subsequently he branched off into radio and television broadcasting and eventually carved a career as a cabaret singer.
He established his acting ability in Father Richard Ho Lung Friends' first musical production Ruby in 1977. He parted company with the group for a while, returning permanently in 1988.
He was part of the cast of Jesus 2000 up to the time of his death.
Father Richard Ho Lung, with whom John maintained a close spiritual association, told The Gleaner: "He was a singer of tremendous power, an excellent actor. He had the rare combination of talent.
"John had a high level of conviction in his art and was always amazed by the ability of our Jamaican people", he continued.
In recent times John did a lot of voluntary work for charitable organisations. "He felt it was his way of giving something back to the country he loved and he had no restraint in terms of generosity", said Father Lo Hung.
A close friend, and managing director of Bath mineral Spa, Edgar Gallimore, told The Gleaner:
"When I think of the philanthropic work... all the creative activities that John was involved in... his spiritual and religious works, in particular, I give thanks to the Creator for his life and work. But the memories of his creative spirit live on".
John is survived by wife Jean, son Jason and mother, Alma.
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