Michael 'Ibo' Cooper
.png)
Media and entertainment specialist Clyde McKenzie
Musician and music educator Michael 'Ibo' Cooper has died.
He was 71 years old.
Cooper, who was a member of reggae/pop band Inner Circle as well as a founding member of reggae band Third World, died on Thursday night after ailing for some time.
Cooper had left the influential Inner Circle band to cofound Third World in 1973. He served as that band's keyboardist, a songwriter and vocalist until he left in 1997.
After 25 years of touring and performing, the musician became a full-time teacher as the head of the Caribbean, Latin American and jazz department (later Popular Music Studies) at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston.
Media and entertainment specialist Clyde McKenzie said Ibo Cooper's death is a terrible blow to the music industry.
Describing Cooper as a great instrumentalist, songwriter and artiste, Mr. McKenzie said he also played an incredible role as teacher.
"He has allowed so many talented youngsters to really achieve their potential through his efforts as a teacher at Edna Manley. There is so much that one can say about Ibo. One of the distinctive features he had was his passion. There was no doubt that he loved music. He loved people and he was someone who was always interested in making the music better."
Cooper recently mourned the death of his wife, Althea Joy Atkinson Cooper, in late September.
His son, music producer and disc jock Arif Cooper, also died in March this year.
comments powered by Disqus
.jpg)
All feeds
