Veteran musician and pilot Rupert Bent II dies at 83 in Kingston
Key Points(5)
- Veteran Jamaican musician, engineer and commercial pilot Rupert Bent II has died in Kingston at the age of 83.
- His death on Monday, June 22, was confirmed by his wife of 27 years, former Miss World Jamaica Cindy Breakspeare.
- Bent, a multi-talented figure whose career spanned music, broadcasting engineering and aviation, died one year after the passing of his son, guitarist Rupert Bent III, who was widely known for his work with the band Third World.
- Born in Westmoreland and raised partly in Portland, Bent was educated at Calabar High School and the College of Arts, Science and Technology (now the University of Technology, Jamaica).
- He later pursued further studies in Canada at the Eastern Ontario Institute of Technology, now part of Algonquin College.
Veteran Jamaican musician, engineer and commercial pilot Rupert Bent II has died in Kingston at the age of 83.
His death on Monday, June 22, was confirmed by his wife of 27 years, former Miss World Jamaica Cindy Breakspeare.
Bent, a multi-talented figure whose career spanned music, broadcasting engineering and aviation, died one year after the passing of his son, guitarist Rupert Bent III, who was widely known for his work with the band Third World.
Born in Westmoreland and raised partly in Portland, Bent was educated at Calabar High School and the College of Arts, Science and Technology (now the University of Technology, Jamaica). He later pursued further studies in Canada at the Eastern Ontario Institute of Technology, now part of Algonquin College.
He built a diverse professional career in Jamaica and abroad. In Kingston, Bent worked as chief engineer at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), where he developed a reputation as a skilled and innovative broadcast technician. According to archival profiles, he was part of a generation of engineers who helped modernise Jamaica’s early broadcasting infrastructure, combining technical work with hands-on problem-solving in the field.
Alongside his engineering work, Bent was active in the music industry as a respected session guitarist. In 1967, he played on Lips of Wine, the breakthrough hit for then-10-year-old Dennis Brown, produced by Derrick Harriott. He also performed with influential groups, including Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, contributing to Jamaica’s evolving popular music scene during the 1960s and 1970s.
Bent later expanded into aviation, joining Air Jamaica in 1973 as a commercial pilot. After 15 years, he relocated to Canada, where he continued working as an airline pilot before eventually retiring.
His musical legacy continued through his family. His son, Rupert Bent III, became an accomplished guitarist and composer, performing with Third World and collaborating with major reggae acts. His daughter, Jana, also recorded several singles in the 1990s.
Bent’s wife, Cindy Breakspeare, remembered him as “very easygoing, very high-focused and very humble,” adding that he loved flying, music and engineering.
He is survived by his wife Cindy, daughter Jana, and granddaughter Salah.
