Explore information about Denyse Plummer’s illness and health issues and find out if she died of cancer as reported in the mainstream media and on social media. The Calypso Queen is indeed dead following a prolonged struggle with cancer.
In recent weeks, there have been speculations about her demise, and her son, Jesse Boocock, has informed the Express that she is receiving palliative care at home and cherishing precious moments with her loved ones. Plummer had made the decision to discontinue chemotherapy treatment.
Who is Denyse Plummer?
Denyse Plummer was a calypso and gospel singer from Trinidad and Tobago. The child of a white father and a black mother, she initially faced significant prejudice in a genre traditionally seen as Afro-Caribbean but was eventually recognized as a leading calypso performer.
Denyse Plummer biography
Denyse Plummer was born in 1953 to a middle-class family in Saint James. Her father, Dudley “Buntin” Plummer, was a white Trinidadian, and her mother, Joan Plummer, was a light-skinned Afro-Trinidadian. Her father was a guitarist in a folk band called Le Petite Musicale.
Plummer attended Holy Name Preparatory and Holy Name Convent in Port of Spain, where she sang in the folk choir and won several youth music competitions. Plummer held various white-collar jobs until her mid-thirties, including working as a computer operator at Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. She then began performing pop music at nightclubs and hotels throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
Initially, she avoided calypso due to the stigma surrounding white, middle- or upper-class individuals performing it and the “smutty” perception of women who performed the genre. However, she eventually decided to pursue music full-time and recorded some of the pop songs she typically performed between 1977 and 1983. In 1985, Phase II Pan Groove steelband arranger Len “Boogsie” Sharpe invited her to sing two calypso songs.
Despite initial doubts, Plummer accepted the offer and received support from her family and friends. After Superblue heard the recording, he asked her to perform in his calypso tent, which qualified Plummer to enter the Calypso Monarch competition.
In 1986, Plummer made her debut at Calypso Fiesta, the National Calypso Monarch semi-finals at Skinner Park, San Fernando. Unfortunately, some attendees disapproved of a multiracial singer performing calypso and held signs with derogatory messages. They even threw objects at her during her performance. However, Plummer remained composed and incorporated the thrown objects into her performance, winning over some of the spectators.
In 2015, prior to the Carnival festivities, Plummer made a public announcement regarding her newfound faith as a born-again Christian. She expressed her intention to perform “gospelypso and groovy soca about God and His Kingdom” moving forward.
Despite her conversion, Plummer did not subscribe to the belief held by some born-again Christians that calypso is “devil music”. In an interview, she clarified that while she still utilized the rhythms of calypso and soca, the message conveyed through her music had changed. Plummer believed that the acceptability of music to God was determined by the content and conduct of the performer during their performance. She subsequently performed at various churches in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as at gospel concerts both locally and internationally. Additionally, Plummer authored an autobiography titled The Crossover in the same year.
Denyse Plummer illness and health issues: Did she die of cancer?
After a protracted battle with cancer, the calypsonian-turned-gospel singer passed suddenly on Saturday. She was 69 years old. Plummer spent some time-fighting stage four cancer. She gave a performance on May 13 at a Denyse Plummer Foundation benefit event to express gratitude for her lengthy and illustrious career.
In confirming her death, Denyse Plummer‘s family posted on Facebook: “It is with a heavy heart we confirm the passing of our beloved queen, Denyse Plummer-Boocock. Denyse was a wonderful mother, grandmother, wife, friend and an exemplary example to the younger generations. She will be missed by many, especially her family. She will live on through her music, literature and the beautiful impressions she left on everyone she met. We love you Denyse, thanks for the magic you brought to this world.”
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