Michael ‘Mike’ Cacia, long-time manager of Toots and The Maytals, died on Monday at age 62. His former wife, Samantha ‘Denise’ Binkley, said he died in Negril from diabetic complications.

Born in Rochester, New York, Cacia was a graduate of Emerson College in Boston, where he majored in mass communications.

He first got involved in reggae during the late 1970s when he worked with Heartbeat Records, a fledgling, independent label in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He worked with a number of artistes including Eek-A-Mouse, Gregory Isaacs, Junior Reid, Morgan Heritage, Rootz Underground and the Fear Nuttin Band.

Toots Hibbert, currently touring the United States, paid tribute to Cacia yesterday.

“I have known Mike for over 30 years, and he was my very dear friend who became my manager, and we worked together for over 20 years. He travelled the world with me and I will miss him very much; we will all miss him for a very long, long time. Mike loved reggae music and he loved my music extraordinarily. It is a great loss and we want to give our condolences to his family and friends all over the world,” said Hibbert.

Mike Cacia is survived by his daughter Zoelle Mae Cacia, three sisters and three brothers. His body will be cremated.

A memorial service is being planned for San Diego, California, where he lived for 15 years before relocating to Jamaica last year.

— HC