These are stark times for Lieutenant Stitchie, the dancehall toaster famous for songs like Wear Yuh Size, Natty Dread, and Night And Day. Since September 2, he has been hospitalised in Jamaica after suffering a massive stroke.
At time of writing, there has been no official statement from the 58-year-old gospel artiste’s family on his condition. One week after news broke that his relatives had launched a GoFundMe page to assist with his medical bills, his wife, Sophia Laing, dismissed rumours that he had died, in an interview with The Gleaner newspaper in Jamaica.
Dave Rodney, who was Stitchie’s manager from 1988 to to 1995, is in frequent contact with his family. On September 21, he disclosed that the deejay was in “stable but serious condition.”
Rodney described the dubious social media reports of Stitchie’s demise as “absolutely dangerous and outrageous”. He added that, “Any family would be devastated by such talk.”
Sophia Laing hopes the GoFundMe page will raise US$100,000; by late September, donations to the effort reached $12,500.
There have been numerous tributes to Stitchie since news of his illness broke. Papa San, one of his sound system contemporaries from Spanish Town; Bounty Killer and Beenie Man, were among those saluting ‘The Governor’.
A former sprinter and school teacher, Lieutenant Stitchie (real name Cleve Laing) gave up a promising athletics career to focus on music. He cut his teeth on the competitive sound system circuit in his hometown of Spanish Town during the early 1980s alongside other aspirants such as Papa San, Wickerman and Major Worries.
Like other sound system mavericks from that era, including Josey Wales and Charlie Chaplin, he made a successful transition to recording. In 1986, Stitchie scored with the hilarious Wear Yuh Size, followed by Natty Dread, Big Broad Hips, Great Ambition and Nice Girl.
Those radio-friendly songs helped earn him a deal with Atlantic Records in 1988. Stitchie released three albums for that major label including the well-received Wild Jamaican Romances.
In 1997, he and other dancehall acts including Papa San became born again Christians and has recorded a number of inspirational albums and songs. Rodney said whether secular or religious, Stitchie “doesn’t cut corners or compromise his standards.”
In May, Lieutenant Stitchie collapsed on stage while performing in Toronto, Canada, triggering talk that he was in ill health. At the time of his latest medical scare, he was working on a new album.
By Howard Campbell for worldareggae.com
