Trevor Rhone died Tuesday from a heart attack.

Trevor Rhone, arguably Jamaica's greatest playwright, is dead. The 69-year-old Rhone died on Tuesday at a Kingston hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Rhone is best known for a series of plays that are ranked among the finest in local theatre, including Smile Orange, Old Story Time and Two Can Play. He also co-wrote the screenplay for The Harder They Come, the 1972 low-budget film that introduced Jamaican pop culture to an international audience.

Rhone was a past student of Beckford and Smith High School (later St Jago High School) in St Catherine. He was involved in British theatre during the 1960s. Returning to Jamaica, he wrote the comedy Smile Orange which starred Charles Hyatt and also helped complete the screenplay for The Harder They Come.

In 1974, Rhone's film version of Smile Orange, starring Carl Bradshaw, was released in Jamaica. In a 2003 interview, Rhone said he wanted to make a statement with the film, which deals with the prejudices of Jamaica's tourist industry.

Rhone worked on other films, such as the 1988 drama Milk And Honey, which won a Canadian Genie Award, and One Love, a 2003 romance flick that starred singers Ky-Mani Marley and Cherine Anderson.

In 2003, Rhone staged the autobiographical one-man play, Bellas Gate Boy, which was nominated for an Actor Boy Award, Jamaica's version of America's Tony Awards.

In 2007, the veteran playwright earned a Gleaner Honour Award for his contribution to the arts.

Rhone is survived by three children and a grandchild.
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Source;Eurweb