R.I.P. Junior Murvin

posted in: Music News

Details have yet to emerge, but it’s been reported that reggae pioneer Junior Murvin died early this morning at his home in Port Antonio, Jamaica. He was believed to be approximately 64 years old (his birthdate is unclear), and word is that he was suffering from advanced diabetes.

Best known for his 1976 song “Police & Thieves,” Murvin worked with Lee “Scratch” Perry, among other big names in reggae, and helped the genre enter the popular mainstream in the ’70s. That song was covered the next year by The Clash on their self-titled LP, cementing Murvin as an influential reggae star, though he never achieved the same level of success with subsequent releases (and apparently was not a fan of the cover version).

“Tell my fans I wish the best for them and love them,” he said in one of his final interviews, “and I will always sing until my eyes are closed.”

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