Singer remembered for his soft, tenor voice

Jon Barrett with Jo Silcox, who he worked with on The West Briton newspaper in Truro

Jon, of Broadwater Road, Worthing, had won awards as a choir boy and as he grew older, his matured, soft, tenor voice made him a popular performer in the larger hotels in Brighton, in London hotels, on television and on the radio.

Born in Hastings, Jon joined the Evening Argus in Brighton as a journalist straight from college but later left the newspaper to concentrate on his singing career.

Jon and his wife Joan moved to Truro in Cornwall in 1985, where he joined the editorial team of The West Briton newspaper as a sub-editor.

Jon Barrett was well known in Worthing for his singing

Jo Silcox, who was chief reporter at The West Briton at the time, said: “He and I worked together on my woman’s page, where his headlines and layout were superb. Newspaper reporting, which I did for 63 years, was the best job I could ever have hoped for.

“Joan was a popular figure in Truro, where she worked in a number of local pubs.”

Jon worked at The West Briton for 13 years until retirement in 1998.

The couple then moved to Worthing, where Jon joined a choir and took up bowls.

The funeral service was held on Tuesday. Jon leaves his wife, Joan.