As the younger Sister of Alton, Hortense Ellis made significant contributions to the reggae genre. Born on April 18, 1941 in Trenchtown, she began her musical journey at the age of 18. The talented songstress impressed both the audience and the panel on the “Vere Johns Opportunity Hour” with her rendition of Frankie Lymon’s “I’m Not Saying No at All.” Ellis’s talent led to numerous appearances in competitions, where she reached six semi-finals and four finals. In 1964, she was awarded a silver cup as Jamaica’s Best Female Vocalist, a recognition she repeated five years later.

During the 1960’s, Hortense toured Jamaica with Byron Lee and The Dragonaires. She collaborated with top producers like Ken Lack, Coxsone Dodd, and Duke Reid. Ellis was in control of the music scene with songs like (“I Shall Sing”, “Hell And Sorrow” and “Brown Girl in the Ring” “Midnight Train”, “Now And Forever”, “I’ve Been A Fool” and “True Love”). Dodd had Hortense and Alton recording at the same time, with her singing duets and some of his classics. Notably, she recorded under the name of Mahalia Saunders for Lee “Scratch” Perry. After touring Canada with her brother Alton in 1970, she returned to Jamaica in 1971 and married Mikey “Junior” Saunders. The couple had five children in quick succession, impacting her live performances, but she remained active in the studio.

Hortense Ellis achieved success in the late 1970s with the song “Unexpected Places,” recorded for Gussie Clarke. The track became a big hit in Jamaica and the UK. During the rise of the Lovers Rock genre in the late 1970’s she worked with Bunny Lee and became the “ Queen Tiney” with hit song “Down town ting”, (counteraction to Althea & Donna –uptown top rankin). The early 1980s she worked with Sly & Robbie along with other groups. Ellis recorded cover versions of a few popular soul classics, including “Down the Aisle” and “Young Hearts Run Free.”

After divorcing her husband, Ellis focused on her family and spent much of the 1980s in New York and Miami. Upon returning to Jamaica in 1989, she faced health problems but continued with occasional local live performances. Due to exhaustion and declining health condition, Ellis insisted on returning to Jamaica.  After suffering excruciating pain, she was rushed to the hospital immediately. She died in her sleep in a Kingston hospital on October 19, 2000, from a stomach infection. Hortense legacy lives on through her impactful contributions to reggae music, her numerous recordings, and the mark she left on the Jamaican music scene. She had major success with various artists and producers; sadly she was overshadowed by her brother Alton. Nonetheless, her unforgettable vocals gave us memorable songs like “Breaking up”, “Let it be me”, “I’m just a girl”, “Time after time” and many more.