Reggae singer Junior Murvin has reportedly passed away peacefully at his home in Jamaica today at the age of 67. Although there is no official cause of death, Murvin had reportedly been suffering from advanced diabetes. Murvin worked extensively with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, using his stunning falsetto on the classic "Police and Thieves." The album of the same name features one of the most recognizable album covers from the golden age of reggae. Perhaps more importantly, the song served as a bridge to punk rock when The Clash covered it on their debut album, forever uniting punk rock and reggae music, while delivering a new audience to Jamaican music and roots credibility to The Clash. While Murvin would never equal that success again, "Police and Thieves" is one of a handful of essential albums from the golden age of reggae music.
The song was also promiently featured in the movie Rockers. There's a nice YouTube clip here.
- AMB Blog's blog
- Log in or register to post comments
