After 52 years with the Fabulous Five, Grub Cooper is leaving the band for which he has been drummer, vocalist, and artistic director since inception.

He told the Jamaica Observer that his last gig with them was Red Rose For Gregory at Hope Gardens in June.

Cooper said he has long wanted to pursue solo projects, but assignments with “Fab Five” prevented him from doing so.

He stressed, however, that there is “no animosity” with his bandmates.

“There wasn’t much of an argument when I told them, because wanting to move on is a personal issue,” said Cooper.

His immediate plans include a song saluting roots-reggae group The Mighty Diamonds, as well as working in theatre and with younger artistes.

“I’ve always reinvented me to remain relevant. The kind of workload I had [with Fab Five] kept me from achieving a lot of the things I wanted to,” Cooper explained.

The Linstead-born Cooper was a founding member of the band, which formed in Kingston in 1971.

He and his older brother, keyboardist Conroy Cooper, were musically-inclined since their days at the Salvation Army School For The Blind.

Along with bassist Frankie Campbell, guitarists Junior Bailey and Stephen Golding, and vocalist Peter Scarlett, they were the band’s original members.

The band formed during the band craze of that period, but also established themselves with early hits like Come Back And Stay. They played several songs on I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash’s 1972 hit album.

While Fab Five had other hit singles in the 1970s, such as Shaving Cream and the ballad Asking For Love, they enjoyed their most fruitful time in the 1980s.

With Cooper calling the shots, the band transformed into a soca powerhouse through chart-topping songs like Ring Road Jam, Yu Safe, Jamaican Woman, and All Night Party.

Cooper considers that era among the highlights of his time with Fab Five, as well as producing their 1990 Christmas In The Sun album, and working with Rita Marley on her 1981 album Who Feels It Knows It.

Among the dozens of awards earned by the band are 2003 Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in The Performing Arts, 2007 Reggae Sumfest Lifetime Achievement Award, 2012 Jamaica Reggae Industry Association Honours Award, and 2015 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission award for contribution to Jamaican music.