Tributes have continued to pour in from all over the world for Jamaican reggae musician, singer and producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, who passed on at 85.
According to the Jamaica Observer, Perry (real name Rainford Hugh Perry) died at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Western Jamaica after battling illness, reports NME.
No cause of death has yet been revealed for reggae legend and master of dub.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, who led the condolences from all over the world, confirmed the dub pioneer’s passing. “My deep condolences to the family, friends, and fans of legendary record producer and singer, Rainford Hugh Perry OD, affectionately known as ‘Lee Scratch’ Perry“, Holness said in tweet.
He reportedly added: “Undoubtedly, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music fraternity. May his soul Rest In Peace.”
Born in rural Jamaica in 1936, Perry – also known as The Upsetter – moved to Kingston in the early 1960s. He described his upbringing in an interview with NME in 1984: “My father worked on the road, my mother in the fields. We were very poor. I went to school… I learned nothing at all. Everything I have learned has come from nature.”
