Legendary Jamaican dancehall and gospel singer Cleve “Stitchie” Laing has died at the age of 63.
Stitchie died on Monday morning while receiving treatment at Kingston Public Hospital, where he had been admitted last Thursday after being diagnosed with a low blood count. His wife, Sophia, had earlier appealed for blood donations for the entertainer.
The musician had been battling health complications since suffering a life-threatening brain haemorrhage in August 2024. He subsequently underwent long-term rehabilitation and received specialised care.
Stitchie, who rose to fame as Lt Stitchie in Jamaica’s dancehall scene, converted to Christianity following a serious car accident in 1997. He later left secular dancehall music and established himself as a gospel-reggae artiste.
His first gospel album, To God Be the Glory, was released in 1999, followed by several other gospel projects. In 2002, he won the Outstanding Male Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year at the Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2012, inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame in 2016 and received Jamaica’s Order of Distinction in 2021.
Tributes have poured in from across Jamaica’s music industry and political leadership.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness described Stitchie as one of Jamaica’s greatest dancehall DJs and praised his storytelling and humour, while Opposition Leader Mark Golding said his music had touched lives in Jamaica and around the world.
Stitchie is survived by his wife and leaves behind a legacy spanning dancehall, gospel reggae and Christian ministry.
