Reggae pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry has died, aged 85

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    Mon, Aug 30, 2021, 08:25
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  • The visionary producer died in hospital in Jamaica on Sunday morning.
  • Reggae pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry has died, aged 85 image
  • Lee "Scratch" Perry has died. Aged 85, Perry passed away in the Noel Holmes Hospital, Lucea, on Sunday morning. The cause of death is not yet known. Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed his passing on Twitter. Perry was born in 1936 in Kendal, Jamaica, before moving to the capital Kingston. In the late '50s he started an apprenticeship with Coxsone Dodd of Studio One and began developing a production style that would become synonymous with Jamaican reggae and dub. Perry is said to have produced over 1,000 songs in the years since, with his last major release coming out in 2019, Heavy Rain. Using studio equipment as an instrument is arguably Perry's most influential contribution to the music world. He was central to the reggae scene for six decades, recording and performing his own music, as well as producing for the likes of Bob Marley and The Wailers, Max Romeo, The Congos, Adrian Sherwood and The Beastie Boys. He also ran the Black Ark studio and Upsetter label, among others, which was responsible for some of reggae's biggest hits. Perry won a Grammy in 2002 for Jamaican E.T., and was nominated four other times. He also received a Jamaican national honour, the Order of Distinction, in 2012. Perry had moved back to Jamaica in January 2021, following years living in Switzerland. Aside from his vast array of musical achievements, Perry was well-known as an eccentric, beloved character who remained active in music until his last years. Read some tributes from the electronic music community.
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