Reggae Singer Bob Andy Has Died

Iconic Reggae singer and songwriter Keith ‘Bob Andy’ Anderson is dead at 76.

The news was confirmed by Glory Music principal, Tommy Cowan. According to Cowan, Anderson had been suffering from illness for some time. He passed away at approximately 8:30 this morning at his home in Stony Hill, St Andrew.

“I have spoken to the family and they say he died peacefully. He was not in any pain,” Cowan shared. “His daughter, Bianca, was by his bedside, and so too was her mother.”

On Wednesday news broke that the veteran singer had become gravely ill. He had been battling cancer for years. Cowan told The STAR that he was in the process of “sending Bob a message of encouragement” when he got the news.

Dozens of the singer’s friends and fellow entertainers have since poured out their condolences.

“Jamaica’s greatest songwriter is no longer with us,” said Heineken Startime promoter, Michael Barnett.

Bob Andy’s career got started in the early 1970s and spanned several decades. The singer had several hits throughout the years including “I’ve Got to Go Back Home”, “Young Gifted and Black,” and “Unchained Love.”

In 2016 Andy was given the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) for his contributions to the development of Jamaican music.