Musician Byron Lee who has been battling cancer returned to the island on Saturday, where he has been receiving treatment. ...

OJ for Byron Lee

Monday, October 27, 2008

We got word on Saturday that band leader extraordinaire, Byron Lee, who as overseas receiving treatment for cancer, was being flown via air ambulance back to Jamaica where he would be in the care of his local physicians. Yesterday, the government conferred a special honour on this great Jamaican.

A release from the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports stated that Lee was conferred with the National Honour of Order of Jamaica, in a moving ceremony, which was specially arranged and chaired by Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange and attended by the prime minister and the governor general.

Byron Aloysius St Elmo Lee received the instruments of the OJ from Governor General, Professor Sir Kenneth Hall at the Tony Thwaites Wing at the University Hospital of the West Indies where Lee is a patient.

Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said the OJ was most richly deserved by Lee, leader of the world-famous band, Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires.

"Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires was an institution that made such an impact on the lives of so many people that Byron's contribution must be boldly recorded when the history of Jamaican music is being written," Golding said.

The prime minister said Jamaica was proud "to pay tribute to Lee for all that he has done for our music and for his powerful fight against cancer".

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