In Memoriam: Ten Iconic Caribbean Entertainers We Lost in 2014

December 31, 2014

Words by Jesse Serwer and Lady Laleebella

2014 was much like any other year: Filled with endings and new beginnings. Within the Jamaican reggae community, the losses seemed to pile particularly high, however, beginning with the February departure of William Clarke, better known as Bunny Rugs of Third World, just days shy of what would have been his 66th birthday.

As the year went on, several other vocalists and musicians whose contributions to reggae culture (and the related genres of ska, rocksteady and dancehall) could only be described as monumental were lost as well. These included digital pioneer Wayne Smith (also lost in February), Roots Radics drummer Style Scott, and the iconic singer John Holt (both of whom passed in October.) The losses weren’t limited to reggae, or music: Also lost were the great Trinidadian-born actor and dancer Geoffrey Holder, and one of los reyes de la salsa, Cheo Feliciano. Here at LargeUp, we attempted to pay homage to these lost legends, and contextualize their careers, as best we could (including publishing Wayne Smith’s final interview), though these tributes perhaps only scratched the surface of what each brought to the culture.

Here’s one last look at some of the iconic Caribbean entertainers lost in 2014.

William "Bunny Rugs" Clarke (February 6, 1948 – February 2, 2014). Rugs, who worked with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry and sang for Inner Circle before joining Third World in 1976, brought a soulful flavor to reggae with his distinct voice, infectious smile, and welcoming personality. Joining Third World on "96 Degrees in the Shade," the highly-acclaimed LP that launched the group to international fame, the "Reggae Ambassador" remained their frontman until his passing, voicing classics like "Now That We Found Love" and "Lagos Jump."
Wayne Smith (December 5, 1965 – February 17, 2014). Smith voiced and co-created dancehall's first digital riddim, Sleng Teng, setting the tempo for everything that followed in the still-thriving genre, while influencing genres from hip-hop to dubstep. Produced and released by King Jammy's in 1984, Wayne’s single “Under Mi Sleng Teng’’ became a keystone element of reggae and dancehall music, versioned by hundreds of artists including Johnny Osbourne, Barrington Levy, Tenor Saw, and even Snoop.
José Luis "Cheo" Feliciano (July 3, 1935 – April 17, 2014) A native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Feliciano came to renown in New York City as a singer in the Joe Cuba Sextet, a group which helped popularize Latin Caribbean among mainstream American audiences, during the 1950s and 1960s. He went on to become one of the biggest stars of the burgeoning salsa movement in the '70s with his releases for iconic New York label, Fania Records, including the classic singles “Anacaona” and “Mi Triste Problema.” He tragically died in a car accident on his home island at age 78.
Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014). A world-renowned author, poet and activist, Angelou was the author of the landmark 1969 memoir "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," which described in brilliant lyrical fashion her upbringing in the Jim Crow South. A lesser-known chapter in Angelou's illustrious career is her musical endeavors, which included a brief but notable foray into calypso, a talent which connected her to her family roots in Trinidad.
Joseph 'Powda' Bennett (1938 - August 20, 2014). "Powda" was a longtime member of the Jolly Boys, one of Jamaica's best-known and longest-running mento bands. A singer with the group during its early years in the 1950s and '60s, an era in which they were mainstays on Errol Flynn's Navy Island, Bennett continued to work with the Jolly Boys during a recent revival that saw the band gain international attention with their cover of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab."
Uziah 'Sticky' Thompson (August 1, 1936 – August 25, 2014). A Jamaican percussionist whose career spanned from the ska era through to recent work with Ziggy and Stephen Marley, Thompson first came to renown as a deejay under the name “Cool Sticky” in the 1960s, voicing notable tracks by the Skatalites, including “Guns of Navarone.” The '70s saw him make his mark as a percussionist working with Lee “Scratch” Perry and Joe Gibbs. He later teamed with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, joining the Riddim Twins in Black Uhuru’s instrumental unit, and in the house band at Chris Blackwell’s Compass Point Studios, where he played on classic recordings by Grace Jones and Tom Tom Club.
Hopeton Lewis (October 3, 1947 – September 4, 2014). A pioneer of Jamaican rocksteady, Lewis sang what is perhaps that genre's most pivotal song, 1966's "Take It Easy." He recorded notable tracks with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires ("Grooving Out On Life") and U-Roy ("Tom Drunk") in the early '70s, and voiced one of reggae's first herb tunes, "Cool Collie," before devoting himself to gospel.
Geoffrey Holder (August 1, 1930 – October 5, 2014). The first black man to receive the Tony Award for best director (for his work on the landmark Broadway play "The Wiz," ) Trinidadian-born actor, dancer, choreographer, painter and author Geoffrey Holder was a true Renaissance man. Perhaps best known as Baron Samedi in the James Bond movie, "Live and Let Die," Holder also appeared in a series of brand-defining commercials for 7Up in the '70s, and played Punjab in the original film production of "Annie."
Lincoln 'Style' Scott (April 29, 1956 – October 9, 2014). As the drummer of the Roots Radics, arguably Jamaica’s most powerful and revered studio session band, Style Scott helped defined the rockers and rub-a-dub sound of the early ’80s, laying the foundation for dancehall with his disciplined, precise style of playing. Scott would also make powerful contributions in the field of dub, playing on Scientist’s early ’80s dub LPs, and joining Adrian Sherwood’s Dub Syndicate from the mid 1980s onward. He remained active on Jamaica’s studio scene until his passing.
John Holt ( July 11, 1947 – October 19, 2014). A vocalist whose career spanned several eras of Jamaican music, John Holt sang for iconic rocksteady group the Paragons before shocking reggae with "1000 Volts" of original tracks and timeless covers from the late '60s onward. Armed with a voice so soulful and electrifying, it sent shivers down your spine, Holt wrote and sang lead on the Paragons' timeless hit "The Tide Is High," later covered by Blondie. Honored in 2004 with an Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government for his contributions to music, Holt passed away from cancer at at age 69.