Noel Simms, Jamaican reggae percussionist and singer, Died at 82

  Music

Noel Bartholomew Simms was born in 1935 and died on February 3, 2017.

He was better known by his nickname and artistic name Scully.

He was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae percussionist.

Simms was born in the Smith Village area of Kingston.

Noel received his education at the Alpha Boys School, he initially worked as a singer in a duo with his schoolfriend Arthur “Bunny” Robinson, known as Simms & Robinson and later Bunny & Scully.

Together they won the Vere Johns talent contest two years running and were the first Jamaican artists to make R&B records on the island, starting with acetates for sound system use in 1953 (previous Jamaican-made singles were calypso).

He had lost his sight to glaucoma.

Nonetheless, Noel kept on recording and writing songs, including “Africa for the Africans”.

He died due to a related illness.

Noel Simms passed away at 82 years old.