Lee “Scratch” Perry, a dub and reggae superstar, has died at the age of 85.
The Jamaica Observer reported that he died early yesterday morning at the Noel Holmes Hospital in the coastal town of Lucea.
Scratch was a crucial factor in popularising Jamaican music around the world, thanks to his work with reggae singers like Bob Marley and The Wailers. Scratch was a pioneer of dub music in the 1970s, transforming roots reggae tunes through early remixing and studio experimentation, influencing the formation of many dance music genres.
Perry started his career as a record salesman for Clement Coxone Dodd’s sound system, building a strong association with Studio One Records, the “Motown of Jamaica.” Perry founded his own record label, “Upsetter Records,” in 1968, and later launched the band “The Upsetters.”
With a new lease of creative control, Perry built a studio in his home called “the Black Ark” and began producing for Bob Marley, The Wailers, the Heptones, and Junior Byles.
Scratch developed the dub sound throughout his career, receiving a Grammy for best album (‘Jamaican E.T’) in 2003. Keith Richards, The Orb, The Clash, and the Beastie Boys were among the artists with whom he collaborated.
In 2011, director Benicio Del Toro narrated a documentary on his life, which premiered at the SWSX film festival.
