Mr Soul Of Jamaica's phenomenal voice gave him hits including 'I'm Just A Guy', 'Dance Crasher', 'I'm Still In Love', 'Girl I've Got a Date'and his song 'Rock Steady' even lent its name to the genre.
The Jamaican authorities, who awarded Ellis the Order of Distinction in 1994, have announced they will be giving him a state funeral. The musician collapsed on stage during his final concert in London in August and was diagnosed with cancer.
Ellis's manager and agent Trish De Rosa paid tribute to the songwriter's dedication to his art. "His life was the music and the stage," she said. "He was getting a tremendous amount of work right up to the end - it was very difficult to get him to slow down. He wanted to do as much as he could and leave a strong legacy."
Laurence Cane-Honeysett, Jamaican music consultant for Trojan Records, the label which had been associated with Ellis throughout his career, said, "He was a genuinely lovely man and his songs were heartfelt. He was a seminal figure in terms of popularising Jamaican reggae music. His death is a terrible loss."
Ellis, who lived in the northwest London suburb of Northolt, is survived by his wife and more than 20 children.
article by: Scott Williams
published: 14/10/2008 17:20
FUTURE GIGS
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