Angus 'Drummie Zeb' Gaye, Reggae Singer, Dead at 62

By Allison Schonter

Angus "Drummie Zeb" Gaye, the lead vocalist and drummer for the British reggae band Aswad, has died. A statement shared to the band's Instagram account last Friday confirmed Gaye's passing, though it did not provide additional details, including his cause of death. Gaye was 62.

The statement announced Gaye's passing "with deepest regret and profound loss," going on to remember him as "the lead vocalist for the iconic band Aswad," which along with Gaye also includes Brinsley Forde and Tony Robinson, "and is much loved and respected by both family, friends and peers alike." The statement added that "more information will be given at a later time but on behalf of his family and Aswad," before going on to "ask that their privacy is respected at this heart-breaking time." It concluded, "Drummie has left us to join our ancestors and leaves a huge void both personally and professionally."

Born in London in 1959, Gaye attended Holland Park School, where he met bandmates Forde and Robinson. The trio went on to form Aswad, which became the first reggae band in the UK signed to an international label, Island Records, in the 1970s, according to The Guardian. They went on to release a total of 15 albums in two decades, becoming one of Britain's most loved reggae bands. Their biggest hits were "Don't Turn Around," hit No. 1 in Great Britain and New Zealand and reached the Top 10 in other countries, and "Give a Little Love," both from the band's 1988 album Distant Thunder, which hit No. 10 in the UK and went gold there, according to Deadline. In total, Aswad released more than 20 studio albums from its self-titled 1976 debut through 2009's City Block, 10 of which made the UK charts.

The band had been set to perform at a Pub in the Park, a food and music festival, in St Albans on Sunday, Sept. 11, though they have since dropped out of the performance following Gaye's passing. A spokesperson for the event said, per Watford Observer, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Aswad's lead vocalist, Angus 'Drummie' Gaye. Over the years, Aswad's performances at Pub in the Park have bought so much joy to so many. Our deepest condolences go out to Drummie's family and friends." The spokesperson added, "Aswad, who were due to appear at St Albans Pub in the Park on Sunday 11 September, will understandably no longer be performing."

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