Rising Stars grandma made final appearance - Crew saddened by loyal fan’s death

Lurline Meredith was a constant fixture in the audience at ‘Rising Stars’ studio shows. Her silky grey hair and her wide grin almost always beamed into living rooms across the island whenever Jamaicans gather to watch their favourite local talent show.

However, her presence has been noticeably absent for the past four years. Her daughter, Cecile Bodden, said she became ill and had to stay home.

The 76-year-old died in on June 30, and it was not until Sunday that most Jamaicans found out after Sanjay, while in the chill room, informed viewers of her passing. The death of Meredith, who is often referred to as ‘Rising Stars grandma’ or ‘The silver hair lady from Rising Stars’, came as a shock to many.

“She was an ever-present fixture at Rising Stars live shows and she was kinda like a good luck charm,” judge Anthony Miller told The STAR.

“A lot of people are going to miss her. For Miss Lurline not to be at a Rising Stars live show to the extent that Rising Stars was on during her illness is very surprising because she was a committed fan, and anybody associated with Rising Stars, even with production, knew Miss Lurline and noted her absence. We are all very sad to hear that she is dead,” Miller added.

Meredith, who struggled with Alzheimer’s and dementia in her later years, was a fan of Rising Stars since its commencement in 2003.

SHE NEVER STOPPED

“From the first day Digicel started the competition, my mom asked me to take her. I didn’t want to go, but of course, I went there and sat with her. From that day, she had not stopped. Every single Sunday she gone,” said Bodden.

“We had a hard time stopping her from going. She take bus, she beg ride and sometimes she stranded and a we same one affi go up there for her to pick her up,” Bodden continued.

Meredith was once presented with $50,000 and a Huawei phone just for being in the audience.

“They used to give away cash to the audience, and she won one year and they put a crown on her head and gave her a thing that said ‘I’m a Huawei fan,” Bodden told The STAR.

Sanjay said that Meredith was a committed fan who was serious about getting the best seat in the house.

“She would get there very early and wait in the lobby because she wanted her front-row seat. Trust me, nobody couldn’t take her seat,” Sanjay said while laughing.

“Sometimes she didn’t even have a ticket to the show, but she was so committed that she would still show up early every Sunday.”

Yesterday, members of the Rising Stars production crew also expressed their sadness upon hearing of Meredith’s passing.

“She was a staple to the show,” producer Sharon Schroeter said. “She is somebody who was just always there. She was truly a loyal fan, and she’ll really be missed. We offer our deepest condolences to the family.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:  An earlier version of this story indicated that Lurline Meredith died in April. That information is incorrect. She died on June 30.