Maurice Ellis, drummer and founding member of The Cimarons band, died in London June 10 from lung cancer. He was 69.Locksley Gichie, guitarist and founder of the band, confirmed his passing. “Words can’t explain…we lost a beautiful person. Humble, modest,” said Gichie of his friend of over 50 years. Ellis was from St. Ann parish in northern Jamaica. He migrated to the United Kingdom in 1963 and was part of the original Cimarons line-up in 1967.
Along with Franklin Dunn on bass and keyboardist Carl Levy, he and Gichie are recognized as members of the first self-contained reggae band in the UK. The Cimarons backed the major reggae acts touring that country including Desmond Decker, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley and Johnny Nash, Toots and The Maytals, Pat Kelly and Derrick Morgan. Ellis, who recorded seven albums with The Cimarons, is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.
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