Former MP and radio talk show host Austin Harris passes at 53

Austin Harris, the popular radio talk show host and former Member of Parliament, died early Tuesday morning at the age of 53.

Friends, colleagues and political leaders paid tribute to Harris’ passion for the Cayman Islands and his pivotal role in shaping informed public debate during a decades-long career on the airwaves and in public life.

Harris was diagnosed with leukaemia in December last year and was air lifted to Florida for treatment. He later returned to Cayman, where he died at Health City Cayman Islands in East End.

He was best known as the long-time host of Cayman Crosstalk on Rooster FM, as the MP for Prospect from 2017 to 2021, and, most recently, as co-host of Straight Talk on Bobo FM.

His brother, Robert Harris, who accompanied him to Florida, said Austin’s legacy would endure in the hearts of his family and the wider Cayman community.

In a statement on behalf of the family, he wrote:

“Austin, the only man who couldn’t whisper, is still with us, and now is heard in every whisper of the Cayman breeze. His favourite season was ‘cold front season’, and it comes as no surprise that this is what greeted Cayman this morning.

He added, “Austin isn’t gone, he’s just on an extended commercial break.

“Every time you have a debate, Austin is there. Every time you hear a massive laugh, Austin is there.”

Harris is survived by his mother, Ruby Harris; his son, Austin Alexander Harris III; and his brothers, David Austin Frederick Harris and Robert Michael Harris.

Outside his public life, he loved dominoes, fishing and spending time with close friends. A competitive swimmer in his youth, he continued to enjoy swimming recreationally.

‘Lightning in a bottle’

Ellio Solomon, Harris’ close friend and co-host on Straight Talk, described him as outspoken but principled and unafraid to shoulder the responsibility of speaking uncomfortable truths.

“He was willing to stir the pot,” Solomon said, crediting Harris with breaking new ground in Cayman radio during his time behind the microphone at Crosstalk.

“I want my friend to be remembered as someone who loved the Caymanian people. He loved the Cayman Islands, and he was willing to speak the truth, take the risk, suffer the pain, in order to do what he felt was best for his country and his people.”

Solomon said he visited Harris in hospital the week before his death, where he sang and prayed with him. Their professional partnership began in 2006 on Rooster FM and, Solomon said, quickly became “lightning in a bottle”.

At its peak, the morning chat show helped lead national conversation, bringing ordinary Caymanians directly into debates about the country’s future. It also helped launch the political careers of some of its hosts, including Harris and Solomon and later Kenneth Bryan.

Political career

Former Premier Alden McLaughlin also paid tribute, acknowledging that while the two began as political adversaries, they later became allies.

“I regard him as probably the best talk show host we’ve had,” McLaughlin said.

“As I found when he was part of my government, he did an incredible amount of research and work. He didn’t just go and flap his mouth, as many do.”

McLaughlin said Harris’ lasting legacy was his contribution to public discourse.

“Anyone could just pick up a phone and call in to argue about matters of national importance,” he said.

Harris contested the 2017 general election as an independent candidate in Prospect, defeating PPM’s Lucille Seymour. He later joined McLaughlin’s coalition government and subsequently became a member of the Progressives. He lost his seat in the 2021 election to Sabrina Turner.

During his term, Harris attracted criticism over his change of position on the cruise pier debate, a defining issue of the period. McLaughlin said he respected Harris’ willingness to change his views when persuaded by evidence, even when it came at political cost.

“That is a rare quality in modern public life,” he said, describing Harris as a diligent, articulate MP and one of the most valuable members of his caucus.

Tributes across Cayman

Solomon, himself a former MP, said he encouraged Harris to return to radio after his election defeat, eventually reuniting on air last year.

“He was willing to take the tougher road,” Solomon said. “And I admired him for that.”

Randy Merren, director of Hurley’s group of companies, who first hired Harris to work on Crosstalk, said he had, along with Solomon and Gilbert McLean, helped make the morning show required listening. He said they had created a forum for anyone to speak truth to power.

He described Harris, who had recently been hired into Hurley’s HR department where he worked until his illness, as a friend as well as a long time colleague and a “big loving guy with a booming voice”.

Tributes poured in Tuesday from across Cayman’s political community.

Premier André Ebanks offered condolences in a voice note, saying: “On behalf of all parliamentarians, past and present, I offer sincere sympathies to Austin’s family. Austin was kind, good-humoured, well-intended, and had a deep passion for Cayman and its people.”

The PPM released a statement paying tribute to Harris as someone whose career on the airwaves and in public life reflected a genuine dedication to service.

In a final statement, the Harris family expressed gratitude to the staff of Health City Cayman Islands, members of Parliament past and present, the medical team at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, and the wider Cayman community.

“We thank the countless Caymanians who answered the call for the recent blood drive, sent prayers, and kept us in their hearts,” the family said.