Capleton’s Mother Laid To Rest, Artiste Says She Saved His Life Twice

Capleton laid his late mother, Mabel Downer-Forbes, affectionately called ‘Mama Live’, to rest over the weekend.

The service was held Saturday at the International Church Of The Foursquare Gospel Church, on Cassia Park Road in St Andrew.

Several members of the entertainment fraternity including Luciano, Fantan Mojah, and Josie Wales turned out to show their respect to Capleton and his family.

During the funeral ceremony, Capleton, whose given name is Clifton George Bailey, gave a heartfelt tribute when he sang “Mama You Strong.”

The entertainer told Loop News about two very personal moments when his mom saved his life.

“I had some real memorable moments with mom, she saved me from drowning when I was just 7,” Capleton said. “I fell into the river, she had told me to leave the fish alone, but you know how kids are, when her back was turned, I fell in, and when she realized, I was about to take the last gasp, the powers of the Almighty told her to look around, and she jumped in, saved me, she even pumped my belly, and the water ran out of me.”

Capleton revealed that when he regained consciousness that’s when he saw how much his mother loved him. Downer-Forbes also plucked the “Raggy Road” deejay from the clutches of poverty approximately six years later.

“I had gone away with my dad to Islington, and I ended up on the street, it was hard, I was about 12 at the time. She had come to the Islington for a funeral, the whole community was there, she picked me up in a bus that came to the funeral,” the reggae singer said.

“I was so afraid and ashamed to face her, my pants were ragged, no strings, my shirt had no pocket, no sleeve. I didn’t want her to see me in that state, but she hugged me and cried, and everyone in the bus was crying, I was trying to tough it out, but the emotion, the way she hugged me…it was too much,” an emotional Capleton recounted.

Downer-Forbes died suddenly on May 28 aged 73.

She was a devout Christian, and was a member of the Cassia Park FourSquare Gospel Church, where the service was held. The body was interred in Watt Town, St Ann where she grew up.

Downer-Forbes, who was diabetic, resided with her son and other family members at his house in Cassia Park, St Andrew in her later years.