Junior Demus mourns loss of his mother

Veteran dancehall artiste Junior Demus is mourning the death of his beloved mother, Jemita Price, who passed away on January 26, in Port Maria, St Mary.

Price, who was born on November 5, 1929, was 92. The entertainer, who is based overseas, flew into the island for the "sad trip" to lay her to rest.

Junior Demus, who will be in the island for two weeks, linked up with THE STAR and paid tribute to a woman whose generosity, he says, knew no bounds.

"My mother is an activist," he said proudly, speaking of her in the present tense throughout.

"She takes care of everyone in her neighbourhood. Wherever she can reach out to help somebody, she will. She can't help herself except to help. All her life is living and forgiving. That's just who she is. She's a matriarch. I don't know my mother any other way," he added.

Junior Demus added that his mother taught him to "live, give and forgive", and that has been his mantra throughout his life, musically and otherwise.

Price, who was dedicated to her God and her church, had eight children. However, she was mother to hundreds more. The memorial service will be held this Monday at the Port Maria United Church /Presbyterian Kirk Church on Warner Street, starting at 10 a.m.

Junior Demus, who took a step back from the business even though he was still watching and listening keenly, recently released projects with Cosmic6 Records and has been working on an EP.

He has a few albums under his belt, among them Cabin Stabbin (VP Records, 1991) and The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, & The Crazy (Sony, 1994), and a couple of singles.