Daily Black Immigrant News
Theater icon and broadcaster Leonie Forbes has died. She was 85.
She was reported dead on Tuesday.
In a recent tweet on his official Twitter page, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said her name is synonymous with Jamaica and Jamaican theater and broadcasting.
“She was always an elegant, gracious woman whose voice commanded respect and admiration,” the tweet read.
“We thank Leonie for her contribution to Jamaican art and culture and express our deep sorrow at her passing,” he added on Twitter.
The actress and former radio and television broadcaster was born on June 14.
According to the National Library of Jamaica, she grew up in Kingston as an only child. She attended St George’s Preparatory, Merrywood Elementary School, Mico Practicing School, Kingston Senior School, Excelsior College and Durham College.
Forbes played lead roles in 12 pantomimes and starred in shows such as “Sea Mama,” “Miss Unusual,” “The Rope and the Cross,” “Old Story Time” and “Champagne and Sky Juice,” the National Library of Jamaica said. .
Forbes has also co-authored a book called The Re-Entry Into Sound with Alma Mock Yen, formerly of UWI’s radio education unit. This is a standard text used to train broadcasters throughout the Caribbean.
Among the honors and awards that Forbes has received over the years are:
My Life in Theater Medal from the Mexican Theater Center of the International Theater Institute for outstanding theater personalities of Latin America and the Caribbean (2001) Order of Distinction (Officer Class) Government of Jamaica (1980) Silver Musgrave Medal Centennial Medal Medal Bronze (1973)
NewsAmericasNow.com
