Skatalite Lester Sterling dies in Florida

In November last year, a GoFundMe was established with the goal of raising US$10,000 for Lester ‘Ska’ Sterling, a foundation member of the Skatalites, who had suffered multiple strokes. The last surviving member of the pioneering ska band, Sterling, who was living in the Florida, passed away last Tuesday morning.

In the GoFundMe message, LeRoy Graham Jr, founder of the True Tribute Organisation Foundation Inc, stated: “We ask you to join us in support for Lester ‘Ska’ Sterling, an exceptional musician from Jamaica and the last surviving original foundation member of the legendary Skatalites band. Lester suffered several strokes, is gravely ill, and needs financial assistance to cover some of his health and medical expenses. Your generous donations will be used to assist Lester with various costs associated with health, medical, and legal expenses.”

A total of US$1,515 was raised for the ska legend, but that is hardly an indication of how much people cared for him. Lester Sterling will definitely have his last wish honoured. He will be buried in Jamaica.

“I knew that Lester had gotten really sick and had to stop touring about a year ago,” Maxine Stowe, music industry insider, shared. “Up until that point, he was still active.”

Stowe, while expressing her condolences at Sterling’s passing, highlighted that the question now is, ‘Who is now the Skatalites?’

“Lester was the one holding the mantle that the group still exists … and now he is gone. But just like the Wailers band, there are other Skatalites around. But how do we ensure that the legacy of the original Skatalites, who were the architects of the music, lives on? That their faces are not erased?” Stowe asked.

She added: “And that is where the Skatalites and the Wailers have a symbiotic relationship … . Both groups had a line-up change that failed to define the rights of the original members.”

Stowe revealed that some years ago, original Wailers member Bunny Wailer, original Skatalites member Lloyd Brevett and her formed a company called Original Skatalites Ltd.

“Bunny was very close to the group, and they opened for him when he was on his Liberation Tour of the US. He was always involved in keeping the integrity of the Skatalites, just like he did with the Wailers,” Stowe shared.

The founders of the Skatalites were musicians Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, Lester Sterling, Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb, Don Drummond, Jah Jerry Haynes, Jackie Mittoo, and Johnny Moore, all of whom have passed. The Skatalites’ bio on Wikipedia states that these musicians started to play together in 1955 when Kingston’s recording studios started to develop.

They initially played between 1963 and 1965 and recorded many of their best-known songs in the period, including Guns of Navarone. They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artistes who recorded during that period, including Bob Marley & The Wailers, on their first single, Simmer Down.

“The Skatalites were the studio band for Mr Dodd [Sir Coxsone], Prince Buster, and Duke Reid, and they were instrumental in the development of ska as a genre,” Stowe, who is the niece of Coxsone, said.

“With the death of Lester, the last surviving member of the group, a spotlight, is now on the Skatalites. I see it all over Facebook. The same thing happened when Bunny, as the last surviving member of the Wailers, died in 2021,” Stowe, who was Bunny Wailer’s manager, said.

The Skatalites played their first show in May 1964 at the Hi-Hat club on Water Lane in Rae Town. It was supposed to be a rehearsal, but so many people gathered around the place that they decided to charge admission and let people enjoy themselves. After that, word spread that the musicians who had been playing all the hit records for so many years had formed a band named The Skatalites.

On Tuesday, the band, through its Facebook page, informed fans of Sterling’s passing. “It’s a sad day for all of us with the passing of our legendary founder and original saxophonist Lester ‘Ska’ Sterling. Our heart goes out to the family, the fans, and to all who were very close to him. We celebrate his greatness and his contribution of being one of the pioneers of Ska and reggae music. He has left a legacy for now and future generations to follow and we will continue to preserve it stage by stage.”

Lester Sterling was 87.

Minister of Culture, Gender Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, made the announcement at the launch of Junior Reid’s One Blood concert at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel Tuesday evening. The minister shared that prior to Sterling’s death on Tuesday, she had been contacted by former Prime Minister of Jamaica PJ Patterson about a matter concerning Sterling.

Patterson, who in his youth managed the Skatalites, communicated to Grange Sterling’s desire to be buried in Jamaica.

“That’s how committed and nationalistic Lester was about his country. Mr Patterson wanted to know if I could make the arrangements for this to happen. And I told him yes. So when I got the word that he had passed, I had already put some things in place. We will be bringing his remains back to Jamaica, and we will have him interred here,” Grange shared.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com