Precious Days with £$P

Precious Days with Lee

He didn’t just make music—he made moments.
Some of those moments happened in our home, with my family, between shows, between worlds.

The Morning He Missed His Flight

Lee was supposed to be on his way to the UK for shows.
Jerome was meant to wake him, take him to the airport, meet his bassist…no problem.

That didn’t happen.

They overslept. The bassist who was to accompany him, didn’t even show. Lee’s wife was livid, he had obligations to fulfill and well, you can imagine.

And Lee? He was okay.

He asked Juliette what was new, she showed him some of the current music videos like Damian Marley’s Medication.
They sat there in our little living room, enjoying the tunes. Then she fixed him a snack and he got tired and wanted to go back to sleep. So we said a prayer, tucked him in and he fell fast asleep, it was surreal, tucking in Lee Scratch Perry. After touring nonstop—new city every night, at 82 years old—his body just chose rest.

There was something beautiful in that… like time didn’t own him. He moved in his own rhythm.

He Came to Wake Me Up

I was sleeping upstairs.

That morning, I remember my door opening… and there he was—
his body on the stairs, just his cute little face peeking in through my doorway.

“Halo Jillie!”

Always like a child, with a pure, wondrous spirit. Someone who didn’t believe in walls between people.

The scene was not complete if everyone wasn’t present.
Moments were meant to be shared and photographed!

The Jacket of £EE Words

I made him a jacket covered in words that all ended in “LEE” because every time I heard a word that ended in “ly”, I thought of him, I still do.

magical£EE. beautiful£EE. kindhearted£EE.

He used the British pound sign for his L—£—the way he always played with symbols.

I wanted to keep adding to it… maybe even sew in little mirrors.

But he picked it up right off the table and wore it.

And wore it.

And wore it… until the letters faded away.

My goal was to wrap Lee in love, the love we all feel for him will never fade away.

 

Backyard Days

He spent time in our backyard with my kids, Jordan and Juliette, and with Jerome.

Taking photos. Climbing into trees. Laughing. Playing.

A fireball of brilliant, genius energy.

Lee and my children loved each other so much,they were always laughing and talking about their dreams.

Those weren’t small moments.
They were everything.

Always Calling

At one of his shows, I got tired and went to sit down, Lee couldn’t see me, so he just called out for me from the stage, during a song, asking Juliette, “where’s your Mom?”

Like I was part of the performance.
Like I was part of the energy he was building.

And that was a trip!!

Love Far Iver

We made art together that carried something deeper than just paint or image.

He “be£EEved” in that.
That what we were doing held powerful energy. Spirit!

And natural£EE I believe that too.

 

He wasn’t just a legend.

He was a mighty presence.
A powerful magical force.
A playful, loving, unpredictable fireball of love and life!

We were meant to meet, with a blessed lighting flash, as Lee put it, and my heart is forever happy for these days.