Reggae Great Cedric Brooks Dies: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

cedric brooks, reggae great dies
Reggae great Cedric Brooks passed away on Friday in New York. Here’s what you need to know.

1. He Passed Away at the Age of 70
Brooks has been sick for the past three years, and passed away at the age of 70 in New York Hospital in Queens, New York. It seems like the cause of death was a cardiac arrest, according to news reports.

2. He’s Been Sick for the Past Two Years
Since 2010, Brooks has been in a coma-esque state, and hasn’t been able to talk for the past three years, according to his sister Paulette Keise. His movement was so restricted that Brooks was only able to make basic eye and head movements.

3. He’s Collaborated With Famous Musicians
Brooks was one of the greatest reggae musicians ever and has worked with a number of famous musicians, including the famous ska band “The Skatalites.” According to the Jamaica Observer, he also had a number of other music hits:

Along with another Alpha old boy, trumpeter David Madden, Brooks had two big hit songs in the instrumentals Money Maker and Mystic Mood.
In the 1970s, he collaborated with Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari and led his own band, Light of Saba.

4. He’s Been Studying Music Since He Was 11
At the age of 11, Brooks enrolled in Alpha Boys School, a prestigious music academy in Jamaica. There, Brooks studied music theory and the clarinet, before switching to the tenor saxophone and flute.

5. He’s Survived by a Number of Family Members
According to The Christian Science Monitor, Brooks is survived by seven children and four sisters.

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