Derrick Lara Dead Lara pictured on his Facebook page in November 2019.
Derrick Lara, the singer and drummer with The Tamlins, has died at the age of 61. Lara had been battling lung cancer for some time. Lara is survived by his three children and three grandchildren.
Lara passed away on February 13, according to a statement from his family that was published on his personal Facebook page. The statement read in part, “Daddy held strong throughout his life as a believer in God, the son, and the holy spirit. Last night, Daddy was brought home by ambulance to the family home to be with his family and us, Omar and Makeda. Daddy passed this morning Thursday, February 13th with a calm smile.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Lara’s Family Were Upset That News of Lara’s Death Was Leaked Before They Could Make an Official Statement
According to his Facebook page, Lara was a native of Kingston and was living in the Saint Andrew parish at the time of his sad passing. On that page, Lara’s family said that they were dismayed that the news of the legendary singer’s death had been released prior to an official statement from the family. A tribute article on Lara notes that he hailed from the same area of Kingston as the legendary Ken Boothe, as well as Stranger Cole and Delroy Wilson.
Lara had announced in December 2019 that he was battling lung cancer. In order to pay for his treatment, Lara’s family had started a Facebook fundraising page. The Jamaica Gleaner reports that Lara passed away in his daughter’s home in Miami, Florida, around 5:00 a.m. on February 13.
2. Lara Re-Recorded Arguably Their Most Famous Song, ‘Baltimore,’ in 1994
Lara joined The Tamlins in 1983 as the group’s singer following the departure of frontman Winston Morgan. Previously, Lara had been the drummer in 7th Extension Band. With The Tamlins, Lara sang on the albums, “I’ll Be Waiting” in 1987, “Love Divine” in 1988 and “No Surrender) in 1995. During his time with the group, The Tamblins toured with Rita Marley. The band also performed with Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths and Leroy Stibbles. In 1994, the band re-recorded their most famous song, “Baltimore.” The song was later also by Nina Simone.
3. Lara Was Featured in the 1992 Documentary, ‘Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae’
In 2019, The Tamblins were featured on Julian Marley’s album, “Baby Lotion.” The group were featured in the 1992 documentary, “Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae.”
4. Lara’s Bandmate Carlton Smith Called the Late Singer’s Falsetto ‘Amazing’
The Tamlins’ founding member Carlton Smith was quoted by South Florida Caribbean News as saying of Lara’s passing, “Derrick was a good bredin, good singer. Anybody who know him will tell yuh how him love gi’ joke.” While Tony Moore of the band told The Jamaica Observer, “Derrick was jovial, fulla joke. Wi had a lotta good times… great memories.”
In a separate interview, Smith told The Jamaica Gleaner, “It was in December that he found that he had stage four cancer. He had been going to doctors and doing all kinds of tests, but it was when they did a CT scan that the doctors realized what was the real problem. He was a great drummer and singer. He had a falsetto that was amazing. He was a member of the group for 36 years and we traveled the world playing music.”
5. Lara Dedicated His 1989 Album, ‘Motherless Child’ to His Mother Who Died in Childbirth
Lara was also a solo artist, releasing the albums, “Motherless Child” in 1989 and “All About Life” in 1999. “Motherless Child” was dedicated to Lara’s mother who had died in childbirth. In 2019, Lara released what would prove to be his final album, “Striving.” Lara’s sister was fellow singer Jennifer Lara. On his official Facebook page, Lara wrote that he began singing in the family’s local church alongside his sister. Lara added that in his youth, he loved to emulate American R&B singers of the 1970s.
Lara wrote on his page that his personal interest was “to touch the heart of people around the globe.”
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