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Alvin ‘Seeco’ Patterson, Wailers Member & Long-Time Friend Of Bob Marley, Dead At 90

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Alvin ‘Seeco’ Patterson

Former Wailers’ percussionist Alvin ‘Seeco’ Patterson, Bob Marley’s long-time friend, has died at age 90.

Bob Marley’s Twitter account wrote on Tuesday, “Good friends we’ve had, oh good friends we’ve lost , along the way . 1❤️ Seeco Pep. Alvin “Seeco” Patterson, longtime friend of the Gong and percussionist in the Wailers has transitioned the physical plane.  Condolences to family & friends. JAH bless his soul.”

Patterson, who was admitted to the University Hospital of the West Indies passed away on Monday. However, according to reports from the Jamaica Observer, the cause of death is yet to be determined.

The percussionist was born Francisco Willie in Havana, Cuba, and migrated to Jamaica with his Jamaican father and Panamanian mother as a child.

Seeco Patterson became his stage name, and in the late 60’s he met original members of the Wailers band, Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer.

Patterson became a full member of the Wailers band after the three Reggae icons parted ways in the early 1970s.  Patterson was in rehearsal with the band at the time of the infamous shooting of Marley and his wife, Rita and manager, Don Taylor.

Seeco played with Marley until the icon’s death in 1981. He left the band and retired from music in 1990 after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

Seeco’s death comes on the heels Marley’s lifelong friend, George Headley Robinson, known as ‘Georgie’ passing away last month. Bob Marley’s Twitter page had also announced his death, posting, “And then Georgie would make the fire lights. I say, logwood burning through the nights, yeah.”