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“This is my island in the sun
Where my people have toiled since time begun
I may sail on many a sea
Her shores will always be home to me
Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father’s hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters
Your shining sand”
SOUTH FLORIDA – Lyrics from Island In The Sun, Harry Belafonte’s classic 1957 song, dedicated to Jamaica, the homeland of his parents where he lived for several years. Many celebrities have lived in that Caribbean country which celebrates its 64th anniversary as an independent nation on August 6. Here are some of them.
Ian Fleming
The former British Intelligence agent purchased a home he called Goldeneye in scenic St. Mary parish in Eastern Jamaica. There, he wrote books such as Casino Royale and The Man With The Golden Gun, featuring a super sleuth named James Bond. Those books were the basis of the 007 movies, one of the most successful in film history. Fleming died in 1964 at age 56.
Errol Flynn
Legend has it that the Australian actor — best known for his role in The Adventures of Robin Hood — washed ashore aboard his yacht in Jamaica during the early 1950s. He was so entranced by the coastal town of Port Antonio in Portland parish, that he purchased a 65-acre property there which he named Navy Island. After his death in 1959, Flynn’s American wife Patrice became a stalwart of Portland’s tourism. She died there in 2014.
Danny Sims and Johnny Nash
The African American impresario and singer came to Jamaica in the mid-1960s. They immersed themselves in Kingston’s hip music scene, and met a young singer named Bob Marley at a Rasta ‘grounation’ in Trench Town late that decade. Nash had several hit songs done in Jamaica, including Hold me Tight, while Sims recorded and produced many songs by The Wailers, Marley’s group. Those tracks would be released on well-received albums by JAD Records, which was owned by Sims and Nash.
Danny Sims died in 2012; Nash died in 2020.
Johnny Cash
The country legend reportedly first visited Jamaica in the 1970s. He eventually purchased property near Montego Bay, which became Cinnamon Hill, a getaway for many years for him and his family. Cash entertained many celebrity friends there including Waylon Jennings and Kenny Rogers. Johnny Cash died in 2003.
Calvin Lockhart
The Bahamian actor, best known for roles in Uptown Saturday Night and Let’s Do It Again, was a regular visitor in Jamaica during the 1970s. He lived in St. Mary parish. Lockhart also starred in two low-budget Jamaican movies — Every Nigger Is A Star and The Marijuana Affair. He died in 2007.
Larry Graham
The man who redefined the bass guitar through his work with Sly And The Family Stone, lived in Montego Bay for several years during the 1980s. A born again Christian, he taught and did ministry work in the tourist resort.
From writers and actors to singers and musicians, these figures found in Jamaica more than a beautiful setting; they discovered a place whose culture, landscape, and spirit left a lasting mark on their lives and work. As the island celebrates its independence, their stories remain part of the broader tribute to Jamaica’s enduring pull on the world’s imagination.
The post Celebrities Who Purchased Homes and Lived in Jamaica appeared first on South Florida Caribbean News.
