Dancehall stars a no-show at Danny English’s funeral

A cloud of disappointment hung over the thanksgiving service for late dancehall deejay Donald 'Danny English' Cox, as mourners questioned why so few industry colleagues turned up to pay their respects.

English, 54, died at the Kingston Public Hospital on January 23.

Held at Perry's Hall of Thanksgiving in St Catherine, the service saw a few industry stalwarts in attendance, including Triston Palma, Peter Metro, Little John, Egg Nog, Twin of Twins and Josey Wales.

Devon Jackson, councillor for the Payne Land Division in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, didn't hold back as he called out the glaring absence of artistes who had benefited from Danny English's contributions to dancehall.

"Remember Meet Me at the Party? That was an international song!" Jackson declared.

"The business is going down because of the disunity within the music business. This is Danny English. I expected to see more of our colleagues giving him the support," said Jackson, who represents the community where Danny English lived.

Danny English collaborated with Egg Nog on the smash hit, Party Time. He also struck gold with his hit single, Bun.

Reggae singer Triston Palma revealed that he had been planning to take Danny English on tour--just days before his death.

"Three days before Danny English passed away, mi manager call mi and tell mi mi a go tour Brazil. Mi tell Danny, 'You ready fi tek on the road?' Him seh, 'Yes! How yuh mean mi boss?!'" Palma shared. "Mi put him name pan everything, and then...Danny English gone home."

A heart-wrenching moment came when Andrew 'Bum Bam' Cox, the late deejay's son, broke down in tears.

"If mi could go back in time, mi woulda mek sure mi reach out to mi fada before January 23," Andrew admitted, revealing that he and his father were not on good terms when he passed away at Kingston Public Hospital.

"This is all unbelievable. Mi always hitch up pan mi fada every weh. It's like mi can't do without mi fada," he said before being comforted by his sister, Danielle, as mourners wiped away silent tears.

"Ina him last days, we never really de pan good terms, [but] a so our thing stay from a longer time. We always at it. Me and him always a vex each other, but him know seh mi love him, and mi know seh him love me too."

Tenuke Doyley, mother of one of Danny English's children, lightened the mood with a joke--claiming that three of the deejay's 23 children were "triplets" because they were all born in the same month of the same year.

Officiating minister and Danny English's childhood friend, Pastor Levi Clarke, reminisced about their younger days in Waltham Park, hustling to collect bottles at parties to earn cash for arcade games. One particularly vivid memory stood out--while a fight broke out at a dance, Clarke and Danny English were too focused on gathering bottles to pay it any mind.

"Don't be the fool who said in your heart that there's no God," Pastor Clarke preached. "It is He that loaned you the breath of life, and guess what? You will have to give an account for this life that you're living."

Danny English's remains were buried at Meadowrest.