Crooner Smith ensured his life was worth living

Jamaica’s legendary singer-songwriter Ernie Smith is being mourned around the Caribbean after he passed away from heart failure in a Miami hospital on April 16, aged 80.

Smith’s smooth baritone and easy-listening style made him one of the region’s most cherished musical voices.

Born in Kingston and raised in St Ann and May Pen, Smith’s musical journey began at 12 when his father bought him a guitar. He honed his craft with a local band, The Vandals, before landing his first recording almost by accident while auditioning for a radio announcer position. His career rose in the late 1960s, with early hits including ‘Bend Down’ and ‘Ride on Sammy’.

His greatest recording came in 1972 when ‘Life Is Just for Living’ — originally written as a Red Stripe commercial jingle — won the prestigious Yamaha Music Festival in Japan. The Jamaican government honoured him the following year with the Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service in the Field of Music. In 2006 he received the Order of Distinction to recognise his lifelong work in Jamaican music. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, two sons, and one grandchild.