Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter

Isolyn Mckinley

Isolin McKinley loves to write songs and recently wrote her first book, but she isn't your average fresh act. This is because she is 70 years old.

McKinley grew up in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, and left for Kingston when she was 16 years old. Later, when she got her first job at the National Workers Union, where she worked for 13 years, she didn't have any plans to pursue a career in entertainment; neither did it occur to her over 39 years ago when she helped to start Tropical Metal Products with her husband, Easton McKinley.

In fact, she only found her inspiration one year ago. "I have not been writing for a long time. It's just since last year that I started doing it. Before that I was writing sermons and how that started was one day I was asked to preach in church about 10 years ago. I didn't think I could do it, but a pastor said yes I could. The sermon was very well received and after that I started writing sermons and filing them. Then in 2002-2005 I had five deaths in my family. I was shaken, but I didn't question God. My mother was the second one to die and she died when she was 107 years old. After that I wrote a sermon on 'God, Love, Faith and the Holy Spirit' and after that I got other subjects. Then writing songs followed," she said.

Inspired

So far she has written five songs for gospel singer, Richard Brown, for his album Rescued Me.

She was inspired to write her book in very much the same way she was inspired to write her songs. "I just kept writing and then one day God said, "You're writing a book." Then one day I was waiting on confirmation and God said "I'm going to give you a vision and I will see you through." After that, I started putting everything together and the book has been out since December." She said about life, death, eternal life, which can be found at her business place, Tropical Metal Products, or Bath Plus in Tropical Plaza, Half-Way Tree.

McKinley said the proceeds from the book would go toward two charities. "Eighty per cent will go to my church, which is the Torrington United Church, toward evangelism work and twenty per cent toward the Jamaica Cancer Society. This is because two of my family members who died, did so from cancer," she said.

This enthusiastic soul has a children's book in the making and a compilation album still to come. Not bad, for a newcomer. "God has instructed me to write a children's book. I'm waiting for confirmation. It will be on parents, children, the mind and it will take me to visit a children's home ... I have written a number of songs and I'm getting different singers right now. So far I have my step-daughter and a lady at my workplace. Wherever the Lord directs me I will go," McKinley said.