“Denroy Morgan Was Unique,” Says Minister Olivia Grange
Minister of Culture, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, has sent her condolences to the Morgan family in the wake of the passing of Reggae singer Denroy Morgan last week at the age of 76. The Minister said she is deeply saddened by death of the artist after a battle with cancer, hailing him as “one of the artists that made reggae internationally famous”.
“It is sad to receive this news just as we have closed a successful Reggae Month. Denroy Morgan was unique. We will never see anyone like him again, whether in Reggae music or in Jamaican life, but I give thanks that his musical legacy will live on in his children,” she said in a statement.
“I send my condolences, love and respect to the Morgan Heritage family. To Denroy, my brother, sleep in Peace in Zion.”
The singer fathered 30 children and is survived by 104 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Morgan released a new single Slavery Offences, just days before he passed away. According to a release from his family, this single is of a new album titled Divine Destiny — “a project he held dear to his heart, which he worked on for over five years”. Divine Destiny is set to release on Friday, April 22nd, 2022.
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. 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.
While he was touring and recording, he fathered 30 children, some of whom showed great promise as musicians. He then made the selfless choice to pause his own musical career to nurture and develop the musical abilities of his children.
The gamble paid off as the children formed several groups including The Dreads, LMS and the Grammy-winning internationally acclaimed roots and culture band, Morgan Heritage.
Morgan Heritage, which is comprised of his children Peter “Peetah” Morgan, Una Morgan, Roy “Gramps” Morgan, Nakhamyah “Lukes” Morgan and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan; while the dancehall/hip hop group LMS is made up of his children Noshayah Morgan, Otiyah “Laza” Morgan and Miriam Morgan.
Morgan was also a member of The Twelve Tribes of Israel and an Ambassador for the Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic Church of North and South America.
Throughout his life Morgan was a stern advocate for the legalization of cannabis and it was one of his greatest joys when it was decriminalized in Jamaica and around the world. In 2006 he began to champion and lead the All Mansion campaign which worked for the unification of various Rastafarian organizations and communities worldwide.
After being ordained a Bishop, he started the Abrahamic Covenant Family Ministry that created the petition for the UN to make November 2nd, the Coronation day of H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, an international holiday.