Veteran Journalist ‘Motty’ Perkins dies

(The Gleaner): Dozens of tributes poured in from around the world yesterday for iconic radio talk-show host Wilmot 'Motty' Perkins, who died early yesterday morning at his St Andrew home after a brief period of illness. Perkins was 80 years old.Friends, colleagues and faithful listeners have been using every tool at their disposal – call-in programmes, email, instant messages, social networks, blogs, and comment boards -to pay respects to the giant of journalism who started his career more than five decades ago, and who was the longest-serving talk-show host on Jamaican radio.

Barbara Gloudon, herself a veteran talk-show host and journalist, knew Motty from "back in the day" when they worked together as young reporters at The Gleaner.

"He was part of a group that formed the Journalist Union of Jamaica. Not many people knew of his trade-union activities," she shared.

Gloudon noted that in analysing Perkins, most people spoke of his fearlessness and his very strong convictions, which came out in his writings and conversations on his talk shows.

Veteran photographer Junior Dowie also recalled working with Perkins at The Gleaner in the early 1960s. "He was one of the nicest persons I have ever worked with, very helpful. We have lost an icon," said Dowie.

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