Lieutenant Stitchie, the Jamaican dancehall deejay who later reinvented himself as a gospel reggae artiste, has died at the age of 60. Born Cleveland ‘Cleve‘ Laing, he passed away at a hospital in Kingston on Monday, just a day shy of his 61st birthday.
Laing was once both an athlete and a schoolteacher. He studied at GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport and was also a former student of Tivoli Gardens High School. Before he devoted himself to music full time, he taught at the high school level, handling biology, physical education, English and history.
He first began carving out a reputation on the fiercely competitive sound system scene in Spanish Town in the early 1980s, performing alongside other young deejays such as Papa San, Wickerman and Major Worries. His big breakthrough arrived in 1986 with Wear Yuh Size, a playful tune that highlighted the lightning-fast delivery and sharp wordplay that would become his trademarks. He built on that success with Natty Dread, another well-loved song that further cemented his place as one of dancehall’s most distinctive voices.
His path changed dramatically after a car crash in 1997, when he became a born-again Christian. From there, he moved into gospel reggae and went on to release a string of uplifting recordings, including To God Be the Glory in 1999 and Real Power in 2000. Even with the shift in style, Stitchie kept the same high-energy flow and lyrical agility that had long set him apart, and he became one of Jamaica’s best-known gospel reggae performers.
