Reggae legend and record producer Bunny Lee has died at the age of 79.
The producer, whose real name was Edward O’Sullivan Lee, was a pioneer on the UK reggae scene.
His death was confirmed in a tweet by music journalist Edward Kessler.
Kessler wrote: “Sad to learn the mighty Bunny Lee has passed.
“He came to the 2018 Q Awards with the Trojan mob wearing a sailor’s cap and a pair of sliders.
“He delivered a very, very long speech and charmed everyone. He held my hand for about ten minutes. A genius producer. RIP Bunny Lee.”
His cause of death is currently unknown.
Reggae legend and record producer Bunny Lee has died at the age of 79 (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Bunny Lee grew up in the Greenwich Farm area of Kingston.
He began his career working as a record plugger for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label in 1962 and later performing the same duties for Leslie Kong.
Lee later moved into producing records himself, with his first hit being Roy Shirley’s Music Field on WIRL in 1967.
He then set up his own Lee’s label, with the first release being Lloyd Jackson’s Listen to the Beat.
His cause of death is currently unknown (Image: Redferns)
Lee produced further hits during 1967–68 by Lester Sterling and Stranger Cole, Derrick Morgan, Slim Smith and The Uniques (My Conversation), Pat Kelly, and The Sensations.
This saw him establish him as one of Jamaica’s top producers.
He also produced classic hits including Slim Smith’s Everybody Needs Love, Max Romeo’s Wet Dream, Delroy Wilson’s Better Must Come, Eric Donaldson’s Cherry Oh Baby, and John Holt’s Stick By Me between 1969 and 1972.
The “flying cymbal” also came on Lee’s productions, developed by drummer Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis, with Lee’s session band, The Aggrovators.
Lee was also instrumental in producing early dub music, working with his friend and dub pioneer King Tubby in the early 1970s
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
