Reggae Legend Junior Murvin Has Passed Away

Influential reggae musician Junior Murvin has passed away in his home city of Port Antonio, Jamaica at the age of 67, the Jamaican Observer reports.

While Murvin commenced his music career in the mid-1960s, performing at hotels throughout Portland Parish before moving to the Jamaican capital of Kingston where he commenced his recording career, cutting singles for Derrick Harriott's Crystal label.

His big break came in the mid-1970s when Murvin recorded the Police and Thieves record with the legendary Lee Scratch Perry, an album that has gone on to be considered one of the 'holy trinity' of Perry's records to come out of the Black Ark studio in the 70s, alongside The Heptones' Party Time and Max Romeo & The Upsetters' War Ina Babylon.

It was the title track of Police And Thieves that Murvin will forever be best known for; it became something of an anthem for British punks in the mid-late 1970s, helped greatly by a cover version recorded by The Clash and released on their eponymous LP.

Murvin was hospitalised last week to seek treatment for diabetes and hypertension, though the exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained.