REGGAE artiste Errol Scorcher passed away in the Spanish Town Hospital, St Catherine on Thursday. He was 55 years old.

According Dorna Brown, his partner of nine years, Scorcher — whose real name is Errol Archer — died from a ruptured blood vessel in his head.

He has been in the hospital since Tuesday after collapsing at his St Catherine home.

"I am very devastated right now. He was such a wonderful person. He's my other half. When I met him, I didn't miss family, he was like everybody in one," Brown told the Observer.

Scorcher dominated the 80s with songs such as Roach Inna Di Corner and Bubble Under Me.

Longtime friend and colleague Errol Dunkley said he was looking forward to an upcoming dance that both planned to attend.

"We were scheduled to play at a Fish Fry and dance on Dillenger's roof located at 35 Lane and Waltham Park Road. He would have represented with his sound Upsetter and I with Black Pepper," Dunkley said.

"I am really gonna miss him," said Dunkley.

He said Scorcher and himself would regularly hang out at Sound Wave studio.

"He was at the studio most days doing specials," Dunkley told the Observer.

Monday of this week would have been the last day he would see his friend alive.

"When I saw him on Monday, he never gave any indication that he was ill," Dunkley said.

Selector and engineer at Sound Wave Studio Granville 'Grabba Fire' Mais described late artiste as "family".

"When I saw him on Monday, he was in good health. In fact, I was supposed to record a song for him and he was excited about the upcoming dance," Mais said.

"Errol is a man a recording music from long time. He told me one day that he has paid his dues a long time but had not gotten his fair share from it," Mais added.

In June 2010, Scorcher was interviewed by this same writer with him clearing up the misconception that he had died since 1982.

Born Errol Archer in the parish of St Catherine, Scorcher emerged on the scene in the early 70s. According to his bio, he began working as a deejay on several sound systems and eventually released a single entitled Leggo Mi Hand Babylon, which, while wasn't a runaway success, did manage to garner him some attention in the dancehall.

Scorcher followed up that release with singles such as Jolly Bus Ting, Engineer's Affair and Peace Truce. He later teamed up with Nicodemus, Nigger Kojack and Mother Liza on Prince Jammy's Tapetone Sound System.

Errol Scorcher got the breakthrough he was seeking in 1979, when he recorded the popular Roach Inna Di Corner, catapulting him into the spotlight and making him a dancehall staple on many top events.

Scorcher followed up that success with singles such as Frog In a Water, Mosquitoes, Borrow Man, Under Me and Rude Bwoy Step.

— Cecelia Campbell-Livingston

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