I was fortunate to spend the last two evenings with the Skatalites (special guest Cedric Brooks) and they were very aware of the passing of Alton. I can't imagine what it must be like to be them and see so many of their friends passing.
Here ia an article from the Observer: (I think they have is age wrong)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20081012T000000-0500_141229_OBS_ALTON_ELLIS_HAILED_A_MUSICAL_ICON_.asp
Alton Ellis hailed a musical icon
BY BASIL WALTERS Observer staff reporter waltersb@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, October 12, 2008
MEMBERS of the musical fraternity yesterday hailed the late Alton Ellis as a musical legend who will never be forgotten, even as they lauded him for his hard work over more than half a century.
"He always called me 'ska king'. And I always called him 'the great Mr Rock Steady'," said Derrick Morgan, one of Ellis' musical peers for more than 50 years. "A lot of shows, he and I performed in Europe together. The last show I remember he and I did was in June at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Jamaica."
Ellis, 64, lost the battle against cancer in a London hospital last Friday night.
Michael Barnett, who along with Keith Brown used to promote the longest running vintage show series called Startime, said Ellis had always been one of his biggest drawing cards.
"Alton was always a favourite artiste of the people from day one. The people just had a love affair with him," he said.
For Lloyd Parks, whose We the People band was the longest backing outfit for Startime, Ellis was a mentor.
"I used to go to Studio One on Brentford Road just to look at Alton and Ken Boothe; and said 'I want to be like them'. It brought joy to me when I started backing them. That brought so much joy to me that when they started labelling
me as a vintage band, I just didn't care - even though I back everybody. His passing touched me," said Parks sadly.
Minister of Information, Culture, Sports and Youth Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, for her part, extended condolences to his family, while lauding him as a reggae
icon.
"Like thousands of other Jamaicans, I deeply mourned the passing of Jamaica's most famous exponent of rock steady, Alton Ellis," said Grange, adding that it was Ellis and keyboardist, the late Jackie Mittoo, who invented the rock
steady beat in the mid-1960s.
One of Ellis' more enduring gems called Why has been immortalised as he is said to have asked why in his final moments. It is a reality that has deepened
the sadness of at least one family member.
"My cousin (Uncle Alton's son Clive) tell me that one of the last words he uttered was 'Why'," said Owen 'Blakka' Ellis, comedian and nephew of the trailblazing Jamaican singer. "And I'm asking the Almighty why, why so many
good people have to die. I think I feel too numb to think. My heart full and my eyes too tired to cry. I was about to sleep but the news got me out of bed. Now, Uncle Alton's words are stuck in my head."