Denise Jones was an artist, cultural archivist, actress, book agent, storyteller, philanthropist, promoter of Jamaican music and everything else to do with Jamaicans.

She was born in Portland, attended Titchfield High School, and graduated from the University of Windsor. She married Alan Jones, returned to Jamaica in 1977, and had two children.

While in Jamaica, she appeared in stage plays like “Wipe That Smile from Your Face.” Afterwards, they moved to Canada and initiated Jones and Jones Productions. This company staged concerts and plays and focused on event planning and marketing.

In the meantime, she hosted a radio show on CHIN and a television show. Moreover, she managed artists, was a booking agent and staged performances close to 150 in a year. She always wanted to make sure that the migrant workers from Jamaica got an opportunity to enjoy the reggae acts. Her service to the diaspora cannot be underestimated at all. She continued highlighting the Black culture on the same stage where other Canadian cultural acts were played.

Jones was acknowledged by the African Canadian Achievement for Excellence in Entertainment and named one of the most accomplished Black Canadian Women in 2018. She served as the founding chair of the Reggae Category of the Juno Awards and vice president of education and marketing of the Canadian Association of Special Event Planners. She was also the first African Canadian to sit on the Brampton Board of Trade and served as a director on the board for two terms.

She passed away in 2022 at her residence in Brampton, Ontario. Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Trudeau honoured Jones as “an incredible advocate for Black and Caribbean arts and culture who contributed so much to our country.”