Grace Jones to enter OJ ranks on Monday
THE NATION’S fifth-highest honour will be conferred on Grace Jones at King’s House on Monday. The Jamaica-born international superstar is among four persons who will become a member of the Order of Jamaica (OJ).
Godfrey Dyer will also be conferred with an OJ for contribution in the field of tourism; Earl Jarrett for exceptional contribution to the banking and financial sectors, public service, and volunteerism; and Giuseppe Maffesanti for exceptional contribution to the construction industry, social development, welfare, and philanthropy.
Jones, a fashion icon, singer, actress, author, and film producer, is being recognised for her exceptional contribution to the field of entertainment internationally. She is known for her work with prominent fashion houses such as Yves St Laurent and Kenzo and appearing on the covers of Elle and Vogue. She has also recorded popular albums, including Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing and Slave to the Rhythm. She starred in the James Bond movie A View to a Kill as the villainess, May Day, and appeared alongside Eddie Murphy in Boomerang.
“I am excited. It is a great honour. I love Jamaica so much, which makes it even better ... . This award is very special,” she said.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jones has “always been a strong advocate for Jamaica”.
“She has never forgotten her Jamaican roots. Indeed, she has embellished her international profile using Jamaica, and it is only appropriate that we recognise her for the contribution she has made to Brand
Jamaica, as well as for her own work as an actress and international icon,” he said.
Jones was born in Spanish Town, St Catherine, in 1948. She left Jamaica at the age of 12 to join her parents in the United States.
Jones said her love for Jamaica has had a significant influence on her career paths, especially her singing.
“I have a hit song, or a classic one, called My Jamaican Guy, and I still record. I am making one now with Sly and Robbie. I did some of that recording in Port Antonio at a place called Alligator Head. There is also a song called Shenanigans, which is about growing up in Jamaica,” she said.
My Jamaican Guy was penned by Jones and was the third single on her 1982 album, Living My Life. The song is largely written in Patois.