SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Jamaican singer and record producer “Lee Scratch” Perry, considered one of reggae’s founding fathers, died on Sunday. He was 85.
Perry, whose real name is Rainford Hugh Perry, died at a hospital in Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to a statement issued by Prime Minister Andrew Holness. He noted that Perry was a pioneer of dub music in the 1970s and produced more than 1,000 recordings over 60 years.
Perry is credited for reggae pieces including “Dreadlocks in Moonlight,” “City Too Hot,” and “Curly Locks.” He kept producing music until recently, posting on Twitter last month that he was preparing for shows in Europe later this year.
“I was very busy in the studio doing some lovely remixes,” he wrote on Twitter in July next to a picture of himself playing a tiny flute. “Keeping fit for the upcoming shows in Europe and hoping they will happen!”
Perry once worked as an intern and janitor at several recording studios before establishing his own, Black Ark, and ended up working with artists including Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Beastie Boys and The Clash. He also spent time in Europe and the United States, where he continued recording. His album, Jamaican E.T., won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2003.
