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The funeral service for legendary musician Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore will be held at The University Chapel at The University of the West Indies next Thursday, February 19, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has announced. The guitarist, cellist and co-founder of the iconic band Third World passed away suddenly on January 18. The service will begin at 10 a.m.
A musical celebration of Coore’s life will follow on Friday, February 20, at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on 36 Hope Road in St Andrew, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Minister Olivia Grange said in a release that the events will allow the public to “pay final respects to Cat Coore”, whom she described as “one of the nation’s greatest reggae ambassadors who helped carry Jamaica’s music to people around the world”.
Celebrated for his exceptional musicianship, compositional brilliance and deep musical knowledge, Coore was widely regarded as a cultural ambassador who elevated reggae music and inspired generations of artistes at home and abroad.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Jamaican culture and the creative arts, Coore was awarded the Order of Distinction (OD) by the Government of Jamaica, honouring his decades of service to music and his role in promoting the country’s cultural legacy worldwide.
Coore was a founding member and musical director of Third World, whose pioneering fusion of reggae, soul, funk, pop and rock helped shape the reggae-fusion sound and propel Jamaican music on to the global stage. Under his musical leadership, the band achieved international acclaim with enduring classics, such as Now That We Found Love, 96 Degrees in the Shade, Try Jah Love, and Reggae Ambassador, becoming one of Jamaica’s longest-running and most successful bands, with nine Grammy Award nominations.
Coore is survived by his wife, Lisa; his children, Shiah, Kanna, Stephen and Ashley; his grandchildren; and extended family.
entertainment@gleanerjm.com
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