Junior Byles, famend for roots reggae hits like Curly Locks and Fade Away, died on Thursday at Kingston Public Hospital. He was 76. His sister, Janet Byles, confirmed his passing.
A former fireman, Byles rose to fame within the early Seventies with highly effective songs produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, and later labored with Earl “Chinna” Smith. Regardless of his musical success, his profession was affected by psychological sickness, and he struggled for years, receiving assist from fellow artistes like Bounty Killer.
In 2023, his work was honored with the acoustic tribute album Nonetheless Beating Down Babylon. Tributes have poured in from reggae figures together with Freddie McGregor and Mykal Rose, celebrating Byles’ lasting impression on Jamaican music.
