Denroy Morgan, Reggae Veteran And Father Of Morgan Heritage, Dead At 76

Veteran Reggae singer Denroy Morgan is dead.  He passed away last night at home in Lawrenceville, Georgia at age 76 after a battle with cancer.

Singer Mojo Morgan confirmed his father’s death to DancehallMag.

A statement from the Morgan Heritage family read, “It is out of sincere love that we share that our beloved father and patriarch, The Honorable Bishop Ras Denroy Morgan has ascended. Daddy has been our light, our source of love and joy all our lives.”

“Our family thanks you in advance for your overwhelming love and support and we ask for your continued prayers as we go through this process. We also ask that you please respect our privacy during this time of healing. Thank You!” they added.

A devoutly spiritual patriarch, Morgan fathered 30 children, 15 of whom he shares with Hyacinth Morgan, affectionately known as ‘Emo’.

The Reggae singer made a calculated decision to develop the aptitude of his kids in music.  It paid off and his kids formed several groups including the Grammy-award winning roots and culture band, Morgan Heritage, which is made up of his children Peter “Peetah” Morgan, Una Morgan, Roy “Gramps” Morgan, Nakhamyah “Lukes” Morgan and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan.

His children Noshayah Morgan, Otiyah “Laza” Morgan and Miriam Morgan also formed the Dancehall/Hip-Hop group LMS.

He has 104 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Morgan left Jamaica in 1965 at the age of 19 and traveled to the United States to become a musician. He was part of the formation of the Black Eagles, a New York City reggae band in the 1970s, before launching a prosperous solo career in the 1980s onwards.

In 1981, Morgan’s I’ll do Anything For You was a smash hit from his album of the same name.

“I’ll do Anything For You give me a name in the American music industry,” he told South Florida News last year.   Written and produced by Bert Reid — an American of Jamaican heritage — the song peaked at No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

Another career highlight was his album for RCA, which was titled Make My Day.