Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson of The Mighty Diamonds, died in Kingston on April 1 at age 71. His death came three days after Donald “Tabby” Shaw, his colleague in the legendary roots trio, was murdered in the Jamaican capital.
Simpson, who suffered a massive stroke in 2015, last performed with the group in January, 2016 in Kingston on the Startime show.
Along with Shaw and Lloyd “Judge” Ferguson, he formed The Mighty Diamonds in Trench Town in 1969. They are responsible for some of roots-reggae’s most revered songs including I Need A Roof, Africa and Pass The Kouchie.
Startime promoter Michael Barnett had a long relationship with The Mighty Diamonds. He described Bunny as the group’s stabilizing force but noted that its three members shared a similar trait.
“They were humble and maybe that’s why they didn’t reach as far as they should,” he said.
Barnett added that Bunny acted as manager for the Diamonds and was an amicable negotiator.
“He was very reasonable, he always tried to make things work,” he said.
Bunny Diamond was hospitalized for some time after suffering the stroke. His Startime appearance sparked hope of a full recovery but his health deteriorated and he was forced to retire from recording and touring in 2016.
He was replaced in the group by Capo Benaiah, a popular singer/guitarist in South Florida reggae circles.
On March 29, Tabby Diamond and another man were gunned down in Olympic Gardens, an inner-city community where he lived. Two other men were shot and injured in the drive-by incident for which police have made no arrests.
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