Who was Lee Scratch Perry? Tributes pour in as Jamaican reggae legend passes away at 85

Jamaican record producer Lee Scratch Perry recently passed away at 85. According to Jamaican media, he died in a hospital in Lucea, Northern Jamaica. The country's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, sent his condolences to the family.

Apart from his music, Lee Scratch Perry was known for his eternally youthful and chaotic dress sense and mythical statements about himself. He once claimed that he is an alien from outer space, where he lives, and is only a visitor on Earth.

Reggae DJ David Rodigan also paid his tribute to Perry and said that "the music world had lost one of its most enigmatic creators and an amazing and incomparable phenomenon. Their sonic sound waves had transformed our lives."

Novelist Hari Kunzru called him one of the greatest artists of any medium in the last 50 years. The famous singer's fans also paid tribute on Twitter.

Beastie Boys' Mike D sent his love and respect to Perry's family and loved ones and the people he influenced with his pioneering spirit and work. He added that they are grateful to have been inspired by, worked on, and collaborated with Perry.

Lee Scratch Perry's cause of death remains a mystery

Jamaican media has confirmed the death of Lee Scratch Perry, but the cause of death has not yet been revealed. His family members and friends have also not given any official statement or mentioned how the popular artist died.

It is unknown if there are any plans for a funeral. Considering the situation, his family needs privacy for now, and things will get revealed once they get normal.

Born in March 1936, Lee Scratch Perry was a record producer and singer known for his innovative studio techniques and production style. He worked with and produced for several artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, The Congos, and more.

Lee Scratch Perry, along with his wife and two children, were residents of Switzerland. He had four other children in other parts of the world.

He was the third child of Ina Davis and Henry Perry. His parents were laborers, and his father later became a professional dancer.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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