Reggae icon Owen Gray dead at 86
Jamaican reggae pioneer Owen Gray has died aged 86, his family has confirmed.
His daughter, Antonitte Gray, confirmed news of her father’s death to the Jamaican Observer. However, no cause of death has been disclosed.
While Gray refrained from revealing her father‘s cause of death, she explained to the Jamaican publication that he suffered a stroke four years ago and was also previously diagnosed with lung cancer six years ago.
In a warm tribute, Gray described her father as “a jokester” who “was an entertainer not just on stage” but also off stage.
His career truly began with his single, ‘Please Let Me Go’, which topped the charts in Jamaica and found him a fanbase in the UK. This led Gray to emigrate in 1962. His song, ‘Patricia,’ was also the first release on Island Records.
In 2023, Gray was celebrated by Jamaica for his services to culture by being awarded the Order of Distinction by the government.
Due to ill health, he was unable to travel from the United Kingdom to Kingston for the ceremony, but he did manage to attend a ceremony at the Jamaican High Commission in London last year to receive the prize.
After receiving the Order of Distinction, he told the Jamaican Observer: “I have been in music for 65 years and I have to say this is one of the best things to happen to me. I’m really grateful.”
Marcus Origa led the tributes to Gray on X, writing, ‘Sad to learn that we’ve lost Owen Gray, not long after his 86th birthday. Owen, one of Jamaica’s foundation singers whose work spans the R&B, Ska, Rocksteady and reggae eras of jamaican music. Jamaica’s first home-grown singing star.”
Gray is survived by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and two sisters.
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