One of the founding members of Israel Vibration and another legendary figure in reggae music, Cecil “Skelly” Spence, has passed away. Through the group’s Instagram feed, verified the information. He had been battling severe arthritis for a long time and was undergoing treatment.
According to the post, he had been getting therapy for his right hand and shoulder for a few months. He visited the hospital last week because he wasn’t feeling well in New York, where he had just found aggressive and incurable cancer. He requested his followers to keep praying for him and sent love to all of them in his final words. Several well-known reggae musicians, including Gramps Morgan and Rohan Marley, expressed their love.
In 1952, Spence was born. Israel Vibration’s fairly remarkable history began with their brief meeting at a rehab clinic. Lascelle “Wiss” Bulgin, Albert “Apple Gabriel” Craig, and Cecil Skelly Spence were the three group members, and they were all affected by polio as children. They started the group almost twenty years after their first meeting at the Mona Rehabilitation Clinic. Their band’s popularity did not come easily either, as they relied heavily on begging on the streets to get by throughout the early years of their career.
In 1976, they released their debut single, “Why Worry,” which did well as they were prepared for the opportunity. That great hit led to a call-up to share the stage with some of the greatest performers of the day, including Dennis Brown, Inner Circle, and Bob Marley.
To seek better medical care and to escape Jamaica’s emerging dancehall craze, the band relocated to New York in 1982 after experiencing some contentious events while preparing to release their third record.
Cecil Skelly Spence would have an estimated $18 million total net worth.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
