Elizabeth Indino Ramsey (December 3, 1931 – October 8, 2015) was a Filipina singer, comedian, and actress. During her almost six-decade career, she established herself as an iconic showbiz personality and entertainer. Ramsey's unique appearance courtesy of her Filipino-Jamaican blood, stage antics, irreverent humor, and punchlines delivered in her heavy Visayan accent brought her into prominence in the Filipino entertainment industry. She is also the mother of popular Filipina singer Jaya.

Early life

Ramsey was born on December 3, 1931, in San Carlos City,

Negros Occidental Negros Occidental (; ), officially the Province of Negros Occidental (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Negros, Negros Island. Its capital is the city of Bacolod, of which it is geographically s ...

, to Arturo C. Ramsey, a United States merchant marine of Jamaican descent who was stationed in the Philippines, and Marcelina Rivera Indino; born in San Carlos City to a family of Filipino and Spanish descent.

Career

Ramsey's career began in 1958 after winning a singing contest in ''

Student Canteen ''Student Canteen'' is a Philippine television variety show broadcast by ABS-CBN from 1958 to 1965, GMA Network, GMA Radio-Television Arts from 1975 to 1986, and Radio Philippines Network from 1989 to 1990. History DZXL ''Student Canteen'' wa ...

'', the first noontime show on Philippine television. After her win, Ramsey was immediately offered a slot to be a performer at the Manila Grand Opera House and then eventually the famous Clover Theater. Her raspy vocals and energetic live performances of rock and roll songs earned her the title as the country's "Queen of Rock and Roll". Some of her trademark songs include "Proud Mary", "Razzle Dazzle", and "Waray-Waray". As early as 1961, she began performing in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

and different parts of the United States. She became the first Filipino to star in the Philippine Festival Las Vegas production of producer Steve Parker, ex-husband of actress

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty; April 24, 1934) is an American actress and author. With a career spanning over 70 years, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Shirley MacLaine, numerous accolades, including a ...

. She performed for soldiers in American bases in the Philippines and on the USS ''Enterprise'' for wounded American servicemen during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. Ramsey also ventured into acting and starred in notable films including ''Prinsesa Naranja'' (1960), ''Reyna ng Pitong Gatang'' (1980), and ''Ang Bukas ay Akin'' (1963), in which she was nominated for best supporting actress in the 1963 FAMAS Awards for her performance. In 1976, she gained household name status after playing Cleopatra in a popular Superwheel Detergent Bar commercial. In the 1990s, she returned to the Philippines after living in the United States for several years and made a successful comeback by appearing in numerous movies and TV shows.

Personal life

Ramsey had 4 children (Isaac Johnson Jr., Mary Ann Johnson, Susan Johnson and Maria Luisa Ramsey). She was married to Black American US military merchant marine, Isaac Johnson, Sr.

Death

Ramsey died October 8, 2015, in her sleep from a

hyperglycemic Hyperglycemia is a condition where unusually high amount of glucose is present in blood. It is defined as blood glucose level exceeding 6.9 mmol/L (125 mg/dL) after fasting for 8 hours or 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) 2 hours after eating. Blood gluco ...

attack at the age of 83.

Filmography

Film

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsey, Elizabeth 1931 births 2015 deaths Filipino women comedians 20th-century Filipino women singers Filipino people of Jamaican descent Filipino people of Spanish descent Filipino television actresses Filipino television personalities Visayan people People from San Carlos, Negros Occidental Singers from Negros Occidental Actresses from Negros Occidental