Dancehall and Gospel Veteran Lieutenant Stitchie Dies at 60
The pioneering Jamaican deejay died on Monday following a lengthy battle with health issues, leaving behind a legacy spanning dancehall, gospel and more than four decades in music
Dancehall veteran Lieutenant Stitchie has passed away
Veteran dancehall and gospel artiste Lieutenant Stitchie has died at the age of 60, his family announced.
In recent days, the veteran deejay had been receiving treatment at Kingston Public Hospital, where he was reportedly given blood after his blood count dropped. His wife, Sophia Laing, had called on friends, relatives and fellow church members to donate blood.
Stitchie, whose given name was Cleve Laing, leaves behind a formidable musical legacy that took him from the classrooms of Jamaica to the international stage and later into Christian ministry.
He had faced serious health challenges over the past two years after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage that left him unresponsive.
Stitchie emerged from Spanish Town’s competitive sound-system culture in the early 1980s, coming up alongside fellow deejays including Papa San, Wickerman and Major Worries.
His breakthrough arrived in 1986 with the humorous “Wear Yuh Size,” followed by “Natty Dread,” helping establish him as one of dancehall’s distinctive lyrical voices. His career soon expanded internationally, leading to a recording deal with Atlantic Records in 1988 and taking his music to a wider global audience.
He built a long and influential career before transitioning from secular dancehall to gospel music following his conversion to Christianity, establishing himself as a prominent figure in both sides of Jamaican music.
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