Peetah goes ‘home’
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer last March, Peetah Morgan spoke about The Homeland, Morgan Heritage’s 13th album which was scheduled for release one month later. The singer, who died yesterday at age 46, was upbeat about the 21-track set’s prospects.
“To be honest, we’ve already achieved so much just by creating an album — a project that will last through the ages. It’s a body of work that will resonate with all generations; young and old,” he said.
No details of Peetah’s death have been released, but the Grammy-winning band issued a statement through its publicist.
“With deep love in our hearts, the @morganheritage family is saddened to share that our cherished husband, father, son, brother, and the renowned lead singer of Morgan Heritage, Peter Morgan, passed on today, February 25, 2024.
“May Jah beckon us towards redemption, for love remains our sole guiding light.
“In advance, the family extends heartfelt gratitude for the abundant love and support being offered. At this time they seek your unwavering prayers as they navigate this journey. Kindly honour their need for privacy as they heal,” it read.
The New York-born Peetah led Morgan Heritage — which also included siblings Gramps, Una, Lukes, and Mr Mojo — on most of their hit songs, among them
Don’t Haffi Dread, Down by The River, and
Reggae Bring Back Love.
They won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2016 for
Strictly Roots.
The Morgans are children of Jamaican singer Denroy Morgan, who had a crossover hit in the United States in 1981 with
I’ll Do Anything For You.
After recording one album for MCA Records, the group relocated to Jamaica in the mid-1990s and began working with producers such as Bobby Digital, who produced
Don’t Haffi Dread and the 1999 album of the same name.
That set also contained follow-up hits in
Down by The River, Reggae Bring Back Love, and
Send Us Your Love.
During the mid-1990s they also met deejay Tony Rebel at his Flames camp in Kingston. He expressed shock on hearing of Peetah’s death.
“On behalf of the Rebel Salute family and the Barrett family, we send condolence to the Morgan family on the passing of Peetah. We in the industry have missed a unique voice and a unique person; we have Peetah as our brother, and we hope the Morgans will pull through this. We give thanks for his life, he made a valuable contribution within our reggae space,” said the veteran artiste.
Peetah Morgan also released a number of solo songs such as
My Makeda, Caribbean Queen, and 365 Days of The Year.
