Hortense Ellis, born on April 18, 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, was a reggae musician. At 18, she appeared on the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour, where her rendition of "I'm Not Saying No at All" attracted praise from the audience and judges. In 1964, she earned the Jamaica’s Best Female Vocalist award. She was featured on the album Feel So Good in 1975 and released her album Jamaica's First Lady Of Songs in 1977. She worked with producers Ken Lack, Coxone Dodd, and Lee “Scratch” Perry, toured Jamaica and Canada, and recorded under the pseudonyms Mahalia Saunders and Queen Tiney. After a brief period in the United States, she returned to Jamaica in 1989; she died on October 19, 2000 after battling throat cancer.
