Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, The Selecter frontman, dead at 73
After bringing ska to the masses for decades, Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson of The Selecter has passed away after a short illness at the age of 73.
Hendrickson was part of the 2-tone ska revival in the late 1970s and was the main face of The Selecter alongside Pauline Black before the band went their separate ways in 1982, later reforming for several tours. During their latest incarnation, Hendrickson bowed out of performing with the group due to a recent cancer diagnosis.
The singer’s family confirmed the news on Hendrickson’s Facebook page, stating, “The family of Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson are saddened to announce the passing of our dearly beloved ‘Gappa’. He passed away in the early hours of Tuesday 11th June in Coventry, the city where he came to fame as frontman for the 2-Tone group The Selecter.”
The family also stated that Hendrickson had continued to perform in the months prior to his passing, saying, “Gappa was actively performing with the group until he was diagnosed with cancer last year. Even then, he fought his way back from ill health to join Jools Holland’s R & B Orchestra as a guest artist for their Autumn/Winter Tour 2023.”
In addition to working on the same circuit as other acts like The Specials, Hendrickson led The Selecter through their own takes on covers of classic songs as well as provided social commentary on songs such as ‘Too Much Pressure’.
The rest of the band also memorialised their frontman on socials, stating on X, “The world has lost a two-tone original, a talented musician, and an absolute gentleman. We have lost our beloved friend and bandmate.”
Black had been fronting the group on her own ever since Hendrickson had stepped away from performing. The group’s final performance with Hendrickson took place at the No Values festival in California, where they played alongside acts like Fishbone and The Aquabats.
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