Third World reggae band lead singer dead at 65

CMC – William Clarke, the leader singer of the world renowned Jamaican reggae group, Third World, has died. He was 65.

Clarke, better known as “Bunny Rugs, died at a Miami hospital where he had been in intensive care for a long time.

His death comes a few months after he drop out of the band’s 40th anniversary tour of Europe.

Born in the central parish of Manchester on February 6, 1948, “Bunny Rugs” joined Third World in 1976, three years after the band was formed. He performed on all but the band’s debut album.

Before joining Third World, he was lead singer for another iconic band, Inner Circle, alongside other talented musicians such as Michael “Ibo” Cooper on keyboards, Stephen “Cat” Coore on guitar and William (Willie) Stewart on drums.

Cooper, Coore and Stewart left Inner Circle to form Third World and it wasn’t long before Rugs also joined them in the band that was to make them all famous as Jamaica’s “Reggae Ambassadors.”