George Nooks releases Mama single as first Mother’s Day without mom weighs heavy

This Mother’s Day, reggae gospel vocalist George Nooks faces the calendar without the woman who raised him—a first since she died of cancer last year. He said he is still raw from the loss and has poured that hurt into Mama, a solo release he wrote to remember her.

The piece carries both the weight of bereavement and the affection he still holds. Its words include: “The Father has called her home Although our lives continue Things are just not the same I often smile when someone say your name And as whole as I am I still cry And get all the grief inside These painful tears are so hard to hide.”

Speaking through tears about what happened, Nooks said his mother stood among his strongest backers across his life on stage and off. He added that nothing can replace the steady push she gave him, and he is still adjusting to the empty space she left.

“This song doesn’t quite capture what I am feeling, but I did it for others who have also lost their mothers,” he said softly. “It is not easy because you know on their special day you would have been so excitedly making preparations to treat them like the queens they are or to call and just…” he said, stopping mid-thought as older scenes rushed back.

The recording bears the Production Totally imprint and is up on the main streaming and download services. Though it grows from his own story, Nooks expects listeners outside his household will hear themselves in it.

“Even though I’m singing about my mother, it can be a balm for anyone who has lost a loved one,” he said, linking private mourning to wider remembrance.

With households worldwide marking Mother’s Day this Sunday, he pressed those whose mothers are still living to draw them near while time allows. “You don’t know the pain you feel when they are no longer around. Cherish them now; don’t hold back, because once they are gone, there is no other opportunity to pamper them. Please do not take them or their love for granted,” he said.

Through the track, Nooks salutes his mother’s memory and stretches a hand to anyone sitting with the hush that follows death, suggesting that care endures even when someone is gone.