By NAN ET Editor
News Americas, NY, NY, Mon. Aug. 30, 2021: Reggae fans around the world were on Sunday stunned to learn of the passing of passing of the reggae pioneer, record producer and singer, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. He was 85.
Jamaica’s Entertainment Minister, Olivia Grange, revealed that Perry died in the Noel Holmes Hospital in the western parish of Hanover.
She called him a “giant of Jamaican music” and lauded him for his contribution to developing and propelling Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae has been mammoth.
Perry started as an apprentice to the legendary ‘Sir Coxone’ at Studio 1 in the 1950’s and spent the rest of his life helping to develop Jamaican music. In addition to being an outstanding producer and singer, he was also an inspirational figure who helped young singers and musicians to develop their craft.
Some of Perry’s great works with The Wailers have included ‘Duppy Conqueror,’ ‘Small Axe,’ ‘Rastaman Live Up,’ and ‘Jah Live’.
Perry produced an impressive body of work that charts the evolution of Jamaican music – with more than 1,000 songs over 60 years. His latest release in 2019 was a 12-track album, ‘Heavy Rain,’ that topped the Billboard Reggae Album Charts.
“I recall his work with Bob Marley. It is said that ‘Scratch’ helped with formulating Marley’s unique sound. The story is told that ‘Scratch’ gave his ‘Upsetter’ band to Marley and that band later became known as ‘The Wailers’,” said Grange. “What a man, what a music, what a life, what a genius! I am incredibly saddened by his passing, but I will continue to celebrate his genius and the body of work he’s given us.”
