Lester ‘Ska’ Sterling to be buried in Jamaica on July 18; last wish honoured
Published:Friday | July 14, 2023 | 12:07 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
The thanksgiving service for Lester ‘Ska’ Sterling, a foundation member of The Skatalites, will be held at the Holy Cross Catholic Church, 77 Half-Way Tree Road, on Tuesday, July 18. The viewing will take place at 9:30 a.m., with musical tributes scheduled for 10 a.m. and the service starting at 10:30 a.m. His remains will be interred at the Dovecot cemetery
Sterling, who passed away in the United States on May 16, at the age of 87, had communicated his wish to be buried at home in Jamaica to former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who had managed the group in his youth. Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange shared that prior, to Sterling’s death, she had been contacted by Patterson about Sterling’s desire.
“That’s how committed and nationalistic Lester was about his country. Mr Patterson wanted to know if I could make the arrangements for this to happen. And I told him yes. So, when I got the word that he had passed, I had already put some things in place. We will be bringing his remains back to Jamaica and we will have him interred here,” Grange shared with the media on the day that Sterling passed.
Grange kept her promise.
Sterling, the last surviving member of the pioneering ska band, had suffered several strokes and had been in dire financial constraints. A GoFundMe had been established for him by LeRoy Graham Jr, founder of the True Tribute Organisation Foundation Inc, to assist with medical expenses.
Born on 31 January 1936, like many of Jamaican musicians of his generation, Sterling attended the Alpha Boys School. Originally a trumpeter, he was predominantly known as a player of the alto saxophone. His bio on Wikipedia states that Sterling was a member of the Jamaica Military Band in the 1950s and played trumpet in Val Bennett’s band in 1957.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he played regularly as a studio musician, along with most of the future Skatalites members, in bands such as Clue J & His Blues Blasters.
Sterling was a founding member of The Skatalites (playing alto saxophone) and, after The Skatalites originally disbanded in 1965, he played with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires and recorded several solo singles for the London-based producer Sir Clancy Collins.
His debut solo album, Bangarang, was released on Pama Records in 1969. Sterling rejoined the Skatalites when they reformed in 1975.