Tributes pour in for Winston Williams

Veteran broadcaster Winston ‘The Whip with the Solid Kick’ Williams, who worked in Jamaican media for more than 50 years and won awards for being the top DJ on radio, has died.

Culture Minister Olivia Grange tweeted Sunday afternoon that the veteran media personality died yesterday morning at the Kingston Public Hospital.

She described him as “a pioneer of Jamaican radio”.

Said Grange, “I will always remember that engaging baritone voice of ‘the Whip’ and the great music he played on radio.”

Williams joined Radio Jamaica (formerly RJR) in 1963 before leaving three years later for work in the Caribbean as a radio host in The Bahamas and emcee of Cat and Fiddle Club, which featured many of the top names in global music, according to a feature in a 2020 magazine celebrating the station’s 70-year anniversary.

“In swift order, his speed, accuracy, and perfect diction made him an audience favourite. Trained by the [late] iconic theatre and radio producer Wycliffe Bennett, Williams excelled,” it said.

In also paying tribute to Williams, Opposition Leader Mark Golding said, “Today, we bid farewell to a broadcasting legend and a true icon of the airwaves. It is with great sadness, we mourn the passing of Winston Williams, he leaves behind an indelible legacy that will forever resonate within our hearts and minds.”

Golding added, “Our thoughts and condolences go out to Winston’s family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched. As we mourn the loss of a broadcasting legend, let us also celebrate the remarkable life and extraordinary career of Winston Williams ‘The Conscious One from Kingston’.”

Fellow broadcaster Simone Clarke, writing on Twitter, said, “RIP, Winston Williams, and thank you for your contribution to broadcast media in Jamaica. A stickler for quality, and standards, and getting it right. Sleep well.”

After his stint in The Bahamas, Williams returned to Jamaica in 1967 and joined the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) as host of an afternoon show as ‘The Whip with the Solid Kick’, going head-to-head with Radio Jamaica’s ‘El Numero Uno’, Don Topping. While at JBC, he also read radio and television news.

Rejoined Radio Jamaica

After a decade at JBC, Williams rejoined Radio Jamaica, taking over the station’s afternoon radio slot. He remained there for another decade and a half, hosting several shows, including Saturday morning’s Rock House, and establishing himself as the voice of the 5 p.m. news.

In 1992, Williams returned to JBC, where he stayed until 1997 when JBC was acquired by Radio Jamaica.

He then had a stint at Hot 102FM before moving on to Power 106FM in 2003, which became part of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group after a merger in 2016.

Williams also recorded songs for ‘Coxsone’ Dodd, Bunny Lee, and the Jackpot label.

The late broadcaster won many awards, including the ‘El Suzie Red Stripe Award’ in 1972 as the best DJ on air.