Reggae singer Freddie McGregor has suffered a stroke and is now recuperating at home CNW News understands.
According to reliable sources, the ‘Big Ship’ singer suffered a stroke on Monday in the United States and is now at home resting.
The singer’s close family members including sons Daniel “Chino” McGregor, and Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor are yet to comment on their fathers’ health status and efforts reach either proved futile.
Mark Leggett, a Los Angeles-based guitarist/film, and television composer wrote on his social media pages that the singer had indeed suffered a stroke.
“Just to confirm that singer Freddie McGregor did have a stroke this past Monday. I would just like to confirm news from a very very reliable source that he (is) currently doing fine. Just resting up. I hope (this) puts everyone’s mind at ease all over the world,” Leggett posted.
In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to form The Clarendonians and began to record for the Studio One label. He was only seven years old at the time and was known as ‘Little Freddie’. He was also a member of the Generation Gap.
McGregor converted to Rastafari in 1975. He is a member of the Twelve Tribes organization.
McGregor collaborated with producer Niney the Observer during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and in the same period was part of the resurgence of Studio One. His popularity soared in the early 1980s with the release of “Bobby Babylon”. Other popular hits of McGregor’s include “Big Ship“, “Push Comes to Shove”, “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely” (a top ten hit in the UK), and “I Was Born a Winner”; as well as cover versions of many early reggae standards.
He has also worked with producers Junjo Lawes, Linval Thompson, and Gussie Clarke. McGregor has also recorded as a drummer with artistes such as Sugar Minott and Judy Mowatt.
Freddie McGregor’s albums in the 2000s were Signature and Anything for You, which received a Grammy nomination.
He established the Big Ship label in 1983, and has produced many artistes including Papa San, Lieutenant Stitchie, Tiger, Luciano and Mikey Spice.
