Hopeton Lewis, the man credited with recording the first “Rocksteady” song, has died.
Lewis, who was 66, died at his Brooklyn home on Thursday night, is best known for the 1966 hit ‘Take it Easy’ which heralded the Rocksteady sound which preceded the internationally acclaim reggae music. In 1970 he had the hit song “Grooving out on Life” and Festival Song winner.
He performed with a number of groups, including the Heptones, the Paragons and the Melodians.
Lewis is reported to have been struggling with various ailments over a period of time but the cause of death was not disclosed.
Lewis was the founder and president of the Hopeton Lewis Caribbean Gospel Music Awards and owner of Caribbean Gospel Jubilee (CGJ), an Internet radio station, in keeping with the lifestyle he adopted after turning his back on secular music more than two decades ago.
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