Who was Tabby Diamond? Tributes pour in as Reggae artist dies aged 67

Tabby Diamond recently died after being fatally shot at in a drive-in shooting in Jamaica. The incident occurred on McKinley Crescent in St. Andrew, Kingston on March 29, leaving one person dead and three others injured.

The other victim, Owen Beckford, is reportedly a relative of Diamond. Reports stated that two men and a woman are currently being treated for gunshot wounds.

According to Loop News, St Andrew Police Division’s senior superintendent Kirk Ricketts said a primary investigation indicated that the shooting might be related to an ongoing local gang conflict.

Ricketts mentioned that police are probing whether the alleged criminal activities of Tabby’s son, who is currently in police custody for murder, may have led to the singer being targeted. According to the statement, Diamond and Beckford were standing with a group of people at a shop in McKinley Crescent when an unidentified gunman fired at them, hitting five people.

The artist was reportedly struck multiple times in the face before being admitted to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Everything known about Tabby Diamond and Mighty Diamonds

Tabby Diamond was a member of the famous Jamaican reggae harmony trio The Mighty Diamonds. Details about his family, career, and educational background are yet to be revealed.

The trio formed the band in 1969 and have remained together since. They were mostly known for their 1976 debut album Right Time and the 1979 release, Deeper Roots.

Tabby Diamond, Fitzroy Simpson, and Lloyd Ferguson became friends at the school in the mid-1960s and were called The Limelight. Their smooth harmonies and choreographed stage show were inspired by the Motown vocal groups of 1960s.

Their initial recordings were produced by Pat Francis, Stranger Cole, Derrick Harriott, Bunny Lee, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Rupie Edwards. They got their biggest breakthrough in the mid-1970s after working with producer Joseph Hoo Kim.

They were signed by Virgin Records and their first album, Right Time, was released in 1976. The album was successful and it was followed by their next release, Ice on Fire, which failed to impress the audience.

The trio then released records under their own Bad Gong label and their next album, Deeper Roots, was released in 1979, which was successful. They recorded with producer Gussie Clarke in early 1980s and released another album, Changes, in 1981.

One of the songs from Changes, entitled Pass the Kouchie, was an international hit. The group’s performance at Reggae Sunsplash in 1982 was released on an album the same year.

They continued to release albums and adapted to the prevailing digital rhythms of 1980s and beyond. The group was honored in the National Honours and Awards on Jamaica’s 59th Anniversary of Independence in 2021.

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Tabby Diamond remained a well-known face among the public as a member of The Mighty Diamonds. People expressed their grief on Twitter when they heard about his death:

There are no known survivors of Tabby so far and further details about his personal life are yet to be revealed.

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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