KINGSTON, Jamaica — The legacy of the late roots reggae singer Kenneth “Junior” Byles will not be allowed to “fade away”. There will be a nine-night ceremony this Friday, May 23 to mark the passing of the singer who is best known for timeless classics like Fade Away and Curly Locks.

The event will be held at 20 Delamere Avenue, off Waltham Park, and notables such as Jerry Mathias, the only surviving member of the Maytals, as well as other entertainers, will be present.

Byles, despite the hit songs he penned, battled with depression and experienced mental health problems for the past 50 years. The singer’s numerous battles led to periods of homelessness and vagrancy that damaged his musical legacy in the minds of some Jamaicans.

“I met Junior Byles 12 years ago, and I saw what people were saying in the press that he was a mad man eating out of garbage. But when I met him, I found him to be a great human being and a powerful artiste,” music producer Claude Sinclair, better known as “Big Stone”, said.

Byles passed away on May 15, 2025. He was 77.

READ: Junior Byles, reggae singer whose hits include ‘Fade Away’, has died

“It doesn’t matter what his mental condition was, we should honour and cherish this man, put him on a pedestal, and that is why I went looking for him and in 2019, I gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award and $100,000. I was also instrumental with the government giving him a Reggae Legend award on February 28th this year,” Sinclair said.

Byles was among those given the Reggae Gold Award at the Reggae Gold Awards Ceremony held during Reggae Month this year.

Sinclair singled out a few individuals who have consistently assisted Byles over the years.

“I would love to big up Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, Mutabaruka and Niney the Observer, and music producer-businessman George Phang who have played instrumental roles in helping Junior Byles over the years,” Sinclair said.

According to Sinclair, “The government is also providing assistance with the funeral arrangements.”

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has said that the music of Junior Byles, one of Jamaica’s great roots reggae artistes, stood out because of his powerful voice and thought-provoking lyrics and that his death has left a huge void in the industry.

“I extend my deepest sympathy to the family, relatives, friends, and colleagues and to the music fraternity,” Grange said in a release.

Byles’ legacy of recordings from the 1970s have made an indelible mark on the local music industry, and strengthened his status as one of roots reggae’s leading talents.

He is known for the critically acclaimed hits like Beat Down Babylon, King of Babylon, the plea for repatriation, Place Called Africa, Curly Locks and the timeless 1975 classic Fade Away which was a huge success in the United Kingdom.