On this day in Caribbean history, November 16, 1998, Roland Alphonso, founding tenor saxophonist for Skatalites, slips into a coma after suffering a seizure November 2nd while onstage at the Key club in West Hollywood, California.
When the Skatalites disbanded by August 1965, Alphonso formed the Soul Brothers with Johnny “Dizzy” Moore, and Jackie Mittoo to become The Soul Vendors in 1967. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Alphonso led the Ruinaires, the resident band at Ruins restaurant/nightclub, this coming to an end when he suffered a stroke at the age of 41. He recovered quickly from this setback, and relocated to the United States in late 1972, soon returning to performing and recording. He released the first album under his name in 1973 on the Studio One record label.
During the 1970s, ′80s, and ′90s, he kept on playing on numerous records coming out from Jamaican studios, especially for Bunny Lee, and he toured with many bands. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he played with the band Jah Malla, performing regularly on the live circuit around New York.
He was awarded Officer of the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in 1977, and started to tour more often in the US.
He died on 20 November 1998 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, after suffering a second burst blood vessel, and spending four days in a coma.
wikipedia.com
