(CMR) Legendary Jamaican reggae singer Denroy Morgan, the patriarch of Morgan Heritage, has died. Morgan (76) passed away on Thursday, 3 March, in the United States, where he lived for more than 50 years.
Morgan, who was born in May Pen, Clarendon fathered two generations of artists, including Grammy-nominated band Morgan Heritage which is made up of his children Peter “Peetah” Morgan, Una Morgan, Roy “Gramps” Morgan, Nakhamyah “Lukes” Morgan, and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan.
The Morgan family, in a statement on Morgan’s Instagram page, said:
“It is out of sincere love that we share that our beloved father and patriarch, the Bishop Ras Denroy Morgan, has ascended. Daddy has been our light, our source of love and joy all our lives. Our family thank you in advance for your overwhelming love and support, and we ask for your continued prayers as we go through this process. We also ask that you respect our privacy during this time of healing.”
Morgan is survived by his widow Hyacinth Morgan, his 30 children, 104 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Morgan migrated to the US at 19 years old to pursue his dream in music. Nearly a decade after leaving Jamaica, Morgan, alongside Devon Foster and Llewellyn Breadwood, formed The Black Eagles reggae band in New York City in 1974. He then moved on to a solo career that blossomed in the 80s.
The Jamaican struck gold in June 1981 with the hit single I’ll Do Anything For You, which featured instrumental backing from Black Eagles bandmates Foster and Breadwood.
In 2021, Morgan released his first book, From the Cross to the Throne, which explores Rastafari, the religion.
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, he established his own Abrahamic Covenant Family Ministry, which goes live on Facebook every Saturday from his Hilltop Tabernacle in Port Morant, St Thomas.
Morgan was also an advocate for the legalization of marijuana.
In 2017, Denroy Morgan received the Key to the City of Brooklyn, New York.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
