Kingston —

Francois St. Juste

Francois St. Juste, one of the most distinctive voices on Jamaican radio for the past 30 years, died here August 29 at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

The RJR Communications Group, where he was a senior member, announced his death. No cause of death was disclosed.

St. Juste, who was believed to be in his late 50s, co-hosted the folksy Sunny Side Up morning show with Paula-Ann Porter-Jones since 2017. He was employed to the RJR Communications Group from 1985 when it was known as Radio Jamaica.

He started out at Capital Radio which was the station’s FM brand. St. Juste was the son of Trinidadian film-maker Chappy St. Juste who lived and taught at the University of the West Indies in Kingston for  many years.

The elder St. Juste died in 2019.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid tribute to St. Juste, saying he “brightened every space he occupied and was very easy to love.”

Mark Golding, leader of the Opposition People’s National Party, said St. Juste “made an indelible mark on Jamaica’s media and we give thanks for his life. Walk Good!”

Jamaica’s entertainment minister, Olivia Grange, also saluted the veteran broadcaster. “A booming voice from an expert presenter behind the microphone has been silenced but the echoes in memories will last for a long time,” she said.

Shares: