The Skatalites’ Saxophonist Lester Sterling Dead At 87

Tributes have been pouring in from far-flung corners of the earth, following the passing of alto saxophonist Lester Sterling, the last of three horns-men from the iconic Skatalites, the band which has the distinction of backing The Wailers’ first hit song Simmer Down.

The announcement of Sterling’s passing was made yesterday on The Skatalites’ social media pages.   He was 87 years old.

“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,” the post read.

“He has left a legacy for now and future generations to follow and we will continue to preserve it stage by stage.   We honor him as a person and we honor him for his excellence. Forever in our thoughts.  Rest in love Lester Ska Sterling,” it added.

Several bands have paid tribute to Sterling, including Third World and Florida-based American ska punk band Less Than Jake.

“Lester Sterling – thank you for teaching a very green 18 year old tenor player on his first tour some phrases and how to approach solos. Thank you for telling some unforgettable stories. your influence lives on.  Forever grateful. rest easy, star,” Less Than Jake band leader Peter “JR” Wasilewski wrote on Instagram.

The Herbie Miller-led Jamaica Music Museum described the hornsman as “a quintessential voice within a quintet of horn players at the helm of the Skatalites”.

“His contribution to popular Jamaican music is profound and his influence widespread,” it noted.

The Alpha Boys School Radio also paid tribute to Sterling, who was a past student of the institution, noting that his “remarkable impact on Jamaican and world music is seen and heard in the joy people receive from playing, performing and hearing his music all over the world”.

Sterling, who in 1988, was awarded the order of distinction for his contribution to the popularisation of ska and reggae music, was also hailed by fans from Japan, Europe, South America, and even countries such as Madagascar.

A 2014 Gleaner article titled Survivors keep music history alive – Lester Sterling, Skatalites legend, stays strong, noted that the musician Sterling was born in 1936,  and was raised in the east Kingston community of Allman Town, before entering Alpha Boys’ School, which it described as “the repository and nursery of many future musical stalwarts”, at age six, on April 15, 1943.

Sterling, who was from a musical family, started out playing the trumpet in 1945, during his 10-year stint at Alpha, but transitioned from trumpet to saxophone after hearing Charlie Parker play.

Sterling joined the Jamaica Military Band in 1960, and during this time composed the Ska song Whalebone in 1961. He became part of the Skatalites in 1964 and when the band disintegrated 1965, went back to playing trumpet for Byron Lee’s band from 1967-1968.

Whilst a freelancer for Studio One, Sterling scored his first No. 1 in 1967 with his composition Pupa Lick, for Soul Vendors, which depicted a diver’s somersault, according to the article.

In 1968, Sterling composed the iconic number one hit, Muma No Want Bangarang, a collab with Stranger Cole, which was an adaptation of Kenny Graham and his Afrocubists 1950s hit Bongo Chant.

“The landmark hit was hailed by some as the first reggae song, with Sterling claiming the original intention was for it to be an instrumental. But, the saxophonist would later decide to add the voices of Stranger Cole, Lloyd Charmers, and Maxwell Smith,” the article noted.

As for The Skatalites, the band’s official website notes that it was formed in 1964 in Kingston, Jamaica by key studio musicians Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb, Don Drummond, Jah Jerry Haynes, Jackie Mittoo, Johnny Moore, and Jackie Opel, who together “created a music called Ska”. 

It said the musicians “had already been playing together in various studios and had played on many hit records of the time, backing groups including The Wailing Wailers, Toots and The Maytals, Jackie Opel, Doreen Shaffer, Ken Boothe and Alton Ellis, and had performed together as the Skatalites for the first time at the Hi-Hat club in Rae Town, Kingston.