Lester Sterling
Lester "Ska" Sterling OD (31 January 1936 – 16 May 2023), also known as Mr. Versatile, was a Jamaican trumpet and saxophone player.
Lester Sterling
User:Yerpo · derywat z File:The Skatalites in Uruguay.jpg (przycięty) · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Lester Sterling
- Born
- 31 January 1936
- Birthplace
- Kingston, Jamaica
- Died
- 16 May 2023
- Nationality
- Jamaica
- Occupation
- saxophonist · musician · trumpeter
- Fields
- music
- Honours
- Order of Distinction
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Lester "Ska" Sterling OD (31 January 1936 – 16 May 2023), also known as Mr. Versatile, was a Jamaican trumpet and saxophone player.
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Note VALÉORINE
Lester Sterling (1936–2023) was a musician, saxophonist and trumpeter, a national of Jamaica. The musician was born in Kingston.
Lester Sterling was a member of The Skatalites. Activity centred on music.
The work spans reggae and ska. Languages used include English. Honours include Order of Distinction.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q722879 · wikipedia · Lester Sterling
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Lester Sterling • Honorific Suffix — OD • Born — 31 January 1936 • Birthplace — Kingston, Jamaica • Died — 16 May 2023 • Instrument — Saxophone, trumpet • Genre — Ska, reggae • Years Active — 1950s–2023
Early life
Early life
Sterling was born on 31 January 1936. Like many Jamaican musicians of his generation, Sterling attended the Alpha Boys School. Sterling's brother is keyboard player Keith Sterling.
Career
Career
Originally a trumpeter, he was predominantly known as a player of alto saxophone. He was a member of the Jamaica Military Band in the 1950s and played trumpet in Val Bennett's band in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sterling played regularly as a studio musician, along with most of the future Skatalites members, in bands such as Clue J & His Blues Blasters. Sterling was a founding member of The Skatalites (playing alto saxophone). After The Skatalites originally disbanded in 1965, Sterling played with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires and recorded several solo singles for the London-based producer "Sir" Clancy Collins. His debut solo album, Bangarang, was released on Pama Records in 1969. Sterling rejoined the Skatalites when they reformed in 1975. The band have continued on and off with a varying line-up since, and Sterling was the only founding member still with the band. Sterling was awarded the Order of Distinction in 1998 in recognition of his contribution to Jamaican music. Lester Sterling was honored by the USA chapter of JAVAA - "JAVAA USA.ORG" at their first awards ceremony held in Brooklyn New York in April 2013. That event was launched under the distinguished patronage of the Consulate General of Jamaica. Sterling was given a pioneers award in the field of music for his contribution since 1964.
Death
Death
Sterling died on 16 May 2023, at the age of 87. At the time of his death he was the second to last surviving founder member of The Skatalites (Doreen Shaffer is still alive).
Albums
Albums
• Bangarang (1969), Pama • Sterling Silver (2002) Echo Records • as a featured artist: • The Ska-Flames featuring Laurel Aitken, Roland Alphonso & Lester Sterling - Damn Good (1995), Sun Shot
Lester »Ska« Sterling of The Skatalites at the Njoki Summer Festival, Ajdovščina, Slovenia. Val Douglas on bass guitar in the background.
Yerpo · I, Yerpo
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1."Musicians Bio ", Alpha Old Boys Association, retrieved 19 October 2012
- 2.Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, , p. 262
- 3.Lieb, Kristin (1994) "Hunt for 'Next Big Thing' Unearths Ska Underground", Billboard, 15 January 1994, retrieved 19 October 2012
- 4.McKenzie, Vanassa. Skatalites saxophonist Lester Sterling has died. Our Today. 16 May 2023.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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