Pioneering Jamaican producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee has died, aged 79

“A true Jamaican legend.”

Legendary producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee – aka Edward O’Sullivan Lee – has died, aged 79.

Hugely prolific throughout the course of his career, Lee began work as a music plugger pushing songs on radio stations.

This lead him to found his own label alongside his production work with artists including King Tubby, Bob Marley’s The Wailers, Sly & Robbie, Peter Tosh, Buju Banton, Beenie Man,  The Sensations, The Uniques and Roy Shirley.

Lee’s seminal collaborations with King Tubby during the early 1970s also influenced the development of early dub.

He also helped to bring reggae to the UK during the ’70s after signing a licensing deal with Trojan Records.

While his cause of death is currently unknown, Jamaican broadcaster Clinton Lindsay confirmed he was “battling kidney problems for the past few months.”

 

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Jamaican music giant, Bunny Lee, has very sadly passed away. Bunny was massively influential in shaping Jamaican music, starting as a record plugger in the Sixties, then, as a pioneering record producer, from the rock steady era through to the dancehall years of the 1980s. Friendly, astute, affable and always willing to offer assistance to others, he remained a great friend of Trojan since its inception in 1968. He will be hugely missed to all of those who knew him personally or through his incredible catalogue of music. Our thoughts are of course with his family and loved ones at this terribly sad time. Rest in Peace, Edward ‘Bunny’ Lee – a true Jamaican legend. • Link in bio to read our full Bunny Lee tribute • #bunnylee #bunnystrikerlee #ripbunnylee

A post shared by Trojan Records (@trojan_records_official) on Oct 7, 2020 at 6:07am PDT