| By HOWARD CAMPBELL— Observer senior writer— |
Eric “Bongo Joe” McDonald, a stalwart percussionist and founding member of Ras Michael And The Sons of Negus, died at the University Hospital of the West Indies in St Andrew on September 5. He was 86 years old.
His daughter, Ruth McDonald, told the Jamaica Observer that he went to the hospital “a couple of days before” for treatment after feeling ill. He died while undergoing observation.
Bongo Joe was from Lucea, Hanover, but spent most of his life in the Maxfield Avenue area of Kingston. His career began in the 1960s at Studio One where he played on songs by keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, that studio’s musical director. Among them were Evening Time, Darker Shade Of Black, and Drum Song.
He also played on Equal Rights by Dennis Brown and Leave My Kisiloo (Stanley and The Turbines).
After leaving the Sons of Negus, he formed Bongo Joe and The Righteous Brothers.
In recent years, Bongo Joe was associated with guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith’s Inna de Yard Binghistra which toured France. He played on several acoustic albums by artistes from that group, including The Congos.
Eric “Bongo Joe” McDonald is survived by his wife Sethlyn Robinson-McDonald, seven children, multiple grandchildren, great-grandchildren and five sisters.
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