A GoFundMe account was up to raise £1,700 to assist with the funeral expenses for James Samuels, former bass singer of duo The Aces, who once provided backing vocals for Desmond Dekker.

The account was set up four days ago by UK-based Aces member Easton “Barry” Howard and had raised £395 up to Wednesday. However, according to a note on the GoFundMe page, the account is now closed as the Ministry of Entertainment and Culture has committed to contributing the remaining monies needed for Samuels’s send-off.

Samuels’s brother, Edward Bradshaw, confirmed the development.

“Miss Grange office reached out and say dem woulda tek care of the [funeral] parlour business. That would ah really help as we nuh have it,” Bradshaw told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday. “Wi woulda like put him way good, enuh.”

Grange refers to Olivia “Babsy” Grange, minister of entertainment, culture, gender and sport.

Samuels, 78, died in the St Ann’s Bay Hospital from complications associated with the novel coronavirus. He had been admitted in the institution two weeks prior.

Hailing from the district of Gibraltar in St Ann, Samuels relocated to Kingston during his teens. While living in Allman Town, he met Howard and two other friends and formed The Four Aces. They recorded two songs for producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd at Studio One.

After little success with Dodd, the quartet moved to producer Leslie Kong’s Beverley’s Records where Derrick Morgan, Jimmy Cliff, and Dekker were the top acts. The Four Aces backed Dekker on Get Up Adina.

According to Howard, soon after, Kong selected him and Samuels to stay on as Dekker’s official harmony section and the quartet officially became a duo. They are featured on Dekker’s hit songs, including U N I T Y, Israelites, and 007 (Shanty Town).

Dekker, who settled in the UK, died in 2006 at 74.

In addition to Bradshaw, Samuels is survived by two sisters.