Death of ‘rocksteady’ pioneer

Alton Ellis, known as ‘the Godfather of rocksteady’, has died at the age of 70.

The Jamaican-born singer moved to Britain in the 1970’s and had a number of hits, including ‘I’m Still in Love’ and ‘I’m Just a Guy’. He was a leading pioneer of the ‘rocksteady’ sound, which came out of Jamaica in the 1960’s.

Ellis was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and underwent chemotherapy before returning to the stage. He collapsed after a concert in central London in August this year and died at London’s Hammersmith hospital on Friday night.

He leaves behind more than 20 children.

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