Reggae singer and producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, a pioneer in dub music, died Sunday in a hospital in Jamaica. He was 85.
A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
“Undoubtedly, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music fraternity,” read a tweet from Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness.
Born Rainford Hugh Perry, he left school at 15 and worked various jobs at labels before becoming a recording artist. (His nickname comes from the 1965 song “Chicken Scratch.”) In 1968, he launched his own label, Upsetter Records, and – with a backing band called the Upsetters – had success with tracks like “People Funny Boy” and “Run for Cover.”
Perry, who quickly established a reputation as both innovative and eccentric, founded The Black Ark studio where he produced music for acts like Bob Marley and the Wailers and hosted sessions for Paul McCartney. (After it was destroyed by fire in 1983, Perry claimed to have torched it because it was possessed by evil spirits.)
Producer Steve Albini tweeted: “I tire of the trope that genius rides shotgun with madness, but few people were as weird or cast as long a shadow as Lee Perry. His records were shocking and became talismans for anybody who ever tried to manifest the sound in their head. Requiescat.”
In the UK, The Clash enlisted Perry to produce the band’s 1977 single “Complete Control” and he collaborated with acts of various genres, including Moby, George Clinton and the Beastie Boys.
Perry won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album (Jamaican E.T.) in 2002 and was nominated in the same category four more times between 2007 and 2014.
Perry spent most of his latter years living in Switzerland with his second wife Mireille and their two children. He is also reportedly survived by four other children.