Stephen “Cat” Coore (1956–2026): The Master Musician Who Carried Jamaican Sound to the World
The sudden passing of Stephen Cat Coore on Sunday evening, January 18, 2026, marked one of the most profound losses in modern Jamaican cultural history. At 69 years old, Coore’s death silenced a musical voice that had shaped, refined, and expanded reggae for more than half a century. As co-founder, musical director, guitarist, and pioneering cellist of Third World, he stood among the most influential architects of Jamaica’s post-independence sound.