San Juan, Puerto Rico — Peter Anthony Morgan, lead singer of the popular reggae band Morgan Heritage that he founded with four siblings, died Sunday at 46, his family said. The family asked for privacy and thanked people in advance for their love and support. The statement posted on social media did not share a cause of death.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness wrote on social media that his “heart is heavy” over the news. He called Morgan’s death a “colossal loss” for Jamaica and reggae music.
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Morgan, known as “Peetah,” was a son of renowned Jamaican reggae singer Denroy Morgan. He and his siblings formed Morgan Heritage in 1994, and the band won a Grammy for best reggae album in 2016 for “Strictly Roots.”
“His voice was so special and his contribution to Reggae music globally was incredible,” veteran British reggae deejay David Rodigan said in a social media post, noting that he was “shocked and saddened” to learn of Morgan’s death.
One of Morgan’s brothers, Roy “Gramps” Morgan, moved to Tennessee, where he aimed to introduce Nashville to reggae.
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“If you follow reggae music and country music, it’s a lot of storytelling,” Morgan told The Associated Press in 2018. “In reggae, we tell the story of people suffering.”
The other siblings who helped found the band were Una Morgan, Nakhamyah “Lukes” Morgan and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan.
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