Capleton remembers ‘extraordinary woman’ Claudette Kemp

Reggae artiste Capleton is talking through his pain following the death of his beloved manager, Claudette Kemp, last Friday.

He hailed her as an "extraordinary woman" who was loved by everyone.

"From Friday mi nuh sleep ... mi nuh eat. A just this morning 'bout one two o'clock mi get little rest," Capleton told THE STAR. "Miss Kemp is one of the nicest woman. She's stern, she's strict, and she nuh fraid a nobody. Yuh coulda bad till yuh cyaan bad no more. She nuh keep up with foolishness and she will tell yuh bout yuh whatever ... she will put yuh in yuh place this minute, but the next minute you and she good."

Capleton, who toured the world for two decades with Kemp by his side, spoke highly of her managerial skills and work ethic.

"Yuh see her now ... if she feel like seh some promoters don't understand about promoting a show, she give dem advice. She don't have a problem with no one in the world. Even more time like the promoters don't have the balance of the money, she is not the one who going to tell me don't go on stage. Because Miss Kemp feel like the fans are more important than a promoter. She will seh, 'The promoter is just one person, but yuh see those 20,000 people out there, they are the fans. We need them to buy this album, and we need them to come to the next show, so go an work'."

When she was being crowned Queen of Reggae Island in 2019, Kemp shared that after much persistence from Capleton, she finally signed a contract to manage him for one year only. But more than 16 years later, the contract still had not expired.

"She's well loved all across the world ... every radio station, every media house ... and she show people love, too. She was a champion in the business. She's like a friend to me; she's like a sister, she's like a mother. We give thanks for her professionalism and give thanks for her works. The foundation she set we just haffi carry it on," Capleton said.

Kemp, who had been diagnosed with kidney-related problems, was ailing for some time. A message from her family stated: "At 1:47 p.m. on Friday, June 9, Claudette Verona Kemp (nee Cummings) transitioned from this world when she took her last breath and closed her eyes to take her final rest. The family appreciates the many prayers ushered for her and will endeavour to communicate further on arrangements."