By: Janice Dayle
Old folk say the time eventually comes when many memorial services become the order of the day. Well for Jamaican music veterans, it appears to be that appointed time these days.

Soon after laying one musical hero to rest another has passed on. We now regret deeply to announce the passing of Byron Lee.

Byron Lee, who had been battling transitional cell and bladder cancer, succumbed to the debilitating disease this morning at the Tony Thwaites Wing of the University Hospital of The West Indies. He was flown in from a Miami treatment center recently and was also awarded the Order of Jamaica for his magnanimous stance as a businessman and musician who continually put Jamaica, the Caribbean and its culture all over the map for more than 50 years.

Forming the band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires around 1950 with school mate Carl Brady, the St Georges College old boy played private parties at first and soon became a fixture on the hotel circuit. From there the bands development brought them fame as a top backing band for visiting R&B and rock and roll artists from the US. Priding themselves with being able to play any genre of music, The Dragonaires soon became the vehicle for sounding off Jamaicas new beats; the ska, rock steady and reggae around the world; and they eventually embraced soca and calypso for their repertoire.

Over the years The Dragonaires have backed icons like: the Blues Busters, The Charmers, The Maytals, Stranger Cole and Ken Booth and was credited with initiating the reggae-soca style of music after putting out the 1990 hit, Dancehall Soca with Admiral Bailey. Byron Lee and The Dragonaires have a discography that is laden with about 59 albums including a 1999 release called, Jump for Jesus.

Yardflex extends heartfelt condolences to the entire family and all who loved this great man who has made his country Jamaica extremely proud.