Jamaican ska star Desmond Dekker (64) has died of a heart attack at his home in England.
Desmond Dekker
The Jamaica Observernewspaper said Dekker, best known for his 1969 smash hit Israelites, died on Wednesday.
Dekker, born Desmond Dacre in the Jamaican capital of Kingston on July 16th, 1942, was still touring and gave his last performance at Leeds University in England on May 11th.
The former welder was due to perform at the Respect Festival in Prague on June 2nd before heading on to Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Belgium and London.
A rising star at home before he was eclipsed by Bob Marley, Dekker was a master of reggae and ska. He shot to world stardom with Israelites, which propelled him into the British and US charts - reaching the top of the former. He never repeated the success.
Many of Dekker's hits, including Rude Boy Train, were about "rude boy" culture, which grew out of the Jamaica slums in the early 1960s. Other successes included It Mekand 007 (Shanty Town).
Dekker moved to Britain and spent the 1970s touring widely, notching up another hit with Jimmy Cliff's You Can Get It If You Really Want.
His star in decline, he kept recording but was declared bankrupt in 1984. It was only the re-release of Israelitesin 1975 and again in 1990 that kept his head above water and ensured his name continued to resonate with the public.
Dekker was divorced with a son and a daughter.