Jamaican singer Jimmy Riley has died, Billboard reports. He passed away in New York while undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 68.
Born Martin Norman Riley in Kingston, Jamaica, he began his recording career in the mid-1960s with the Sensations. The group made hit records on Arthur "Duke" Reid’s label Treasure Isle. In 1967, he joined the Uniques before going solo in 1969. He found his biggest commercial success in the 1980s when he recorded with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. His first No. 1 hit in Jamaica was the Sly and Robbie-produced track "Love and Devotion."
Jimmy Riley was the father of popular reggae artist Tarrus Riley. He recorded several songs with his son, including 2008's "Pull Up Selector," produced by Sly and Robbie. Riley appeared on his son's 2012 album Mecoustic, and Tarrus was on his father's final record, 2013's Contradiction.
