Jamaican lovers rock singer Dobby Dobson died on Tuesday at age 78
Dobson’s laid-back vocal style earned him hit songs in the pre-ska, rocksteady and reggae eras, passed away in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he has been residing since 1979.
His brother, Colin Morais, told the Jamaica Observer that Dobson succumbed to complications of COVID-19 around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21. He had suffered from dementia in recent years.
Dobby Dobson had contracted the coronavirus, according to Glory Music’s Tommy Cowan. “I was told a couple days ago that he was in a bad way,” the music executive said. “He had Alzheimer’s for a while now and was in a home, then he was diagnosed with COVID.”
Born in Kingston, Dobson started out in music while attending Kingston College in the late-1950s. He was a member of the school’s choir along with Norris Weir, who became famous as a member of the group, The Jamaicans.
Dobson was nicknamed ‘Loving Pauper’ after one of his better-known songs. Dobson followed up with popular covers of Brook Benton’s Endlessly & That Wonderful Sound by Tom Jones. In 1968, he returned to Jamaican charts with Seems I’m Losing You, produced by Clement “Coxsone” Dodd.
In August 2011, he was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) for his contribution to reggae music and Jamaican culture.
