Who was Alan Magnus? Tributes pour in as beloved Jamaican radio broadcaster dies aged 80

Jamaican radio broadcaster Alan Magnus, 80, unexpectedly passed away on February 3, 2024. His cause of death has not officially been announced as yet. Magnus gained recognition for his appearances on Good Morning Man for around 30 years. The show aired on Radio Jamaica.

As soon as the news was made public, social media platforms were filled with tributes for Magnus. Facebook user Kennedy Reid recalled how he once appeared for an interview with Magnus and added:

"When radio was our "social media," Alan Magnus was the man who woke us up every work morning for decades! Childhood to adulthood! His energy and encouragement was constant. He was never offensive, never political and always entertaining!"

The news of Alan Magnus' death comes almost four years after he lost his wife, Karlene Magnus, in 2019.

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Alan Magnus retired from his broadcasting career in 2017: Career explored

Alan Magnus was active as a radio broadcaster for around 46 years. While detailed information about his early life remains unknown, he came to Radio Jamaica in 1971 and became a popular face among the public over the next few years, as per Nationwide 90FM.

He joined the show, Good Morning Man, along with Dorraine Samuels. Alan and Dorraine continued appearing on the show for a long time, until Paula Ann-Portor came in as the co-host. In March 2017, Magnus announced retirement from broadcasting.

According to Press Reader, Alan was hesitant to work on Good Morning Man, since it was previously hosted by Desmond Chambers and Neville Willoughby. Chambers and Magnus were close friends since they went to the same school and when the latter approached Chamber for some advice, he reportedly told him to "do what you feel comfortable doing."

Radio Jamaica was known as RJR when Alan Magnus was employed. He addressed the name change in an interview with Press Reader, saying:

"Radio Jamaica is a much stronger name, reflecting what the station really is: Jamaica's radio station. I am happy that morning radio on Radio Jamaica is still number one and wish Francois and Paula all possible success, but I am quite happy to be in retirement."

Speaking about his marriage to Karlene, in an interview, Magnus recalled how he and Karlene were once traveling to Runaway Bay on a mini-bus and heard two ladies speaking on a particular topic throughout the journey, which he mentioned as "Alan Magnus' wedding to the 'coolie girl' from Westmoreland." Magnus continued:

"Kerry and I were hard put by to keep a straight face and not burst out laughing. They had absolutely nothing right in their discussion except that I did actually get married to a lady of East Indian heritage from Westmoreland."

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Netizens pay tribute to Alan Magnus on social media

The voice of Alan Magnus was almost known to everyone. Social media platforms were flooded with tributes as soon as the news of Magnus' demise went viral:

Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, also expressed his grief on his social media pages, writing that he had been familiar with Alan's voice since his childhood. He added:

"My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and the countless listeners who considered him a part of their lives."

Detailed information on Alan's survivors remains unknown. As mentioned earlier, the cause of death has not been revealed.