20 October 2007
Lagos — South African reggae legend, Lucky Dube was late Thursday slain in an attempted hijacking in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa. The incident occurred at approximately 8pm, whilst dropping off his children at a family members house.
Although Lucky attempted to escape the scene, he was fatally wounded from the hijacker's attempt to steal his car, and he died almost instantly.
Senseless and random, the death of Lucky Dube leaves a great void in the music industry, as 25 years of music suddenly ends in tragedy.
South African-born but globally revered, Lucky Dube was one of the country's most toured and beloved artists ever.
His music touched millions around the world, primarily through his 22 recorded albums - in Zulu, English and even Afrikaans - many of which have been record breakers with phenomenal sales from around the globe.
As a frontline artist in the reggae genre, Lucky's creativity and inventiveness kept growing.
Compelling in his musicianship and intriguing in his lyrical content, Lucky's sonic daring to take his genre to new heights never failed to amaze even the most ardent fans, whilst reigning in new devotees to his magic every day.
His energetic band toured with him from continent to continent as South African musical ambassadors, and his live performances have earned him fans and accolades the world over.
Lucky joined Teal Records (later to become Gallo) as a fresh-faced young Mbaqanga singer in 1982. Five albums later, he found a genre that spoke to his soul and changed the way he viewed the world. This genre was Reggae.
With his long-time sound engineer and best friend Dave Segal, he created some of the most legendary pieces of reggae music ever recorded, including the tracks Prisoner, Taxman, Slave, Victims, Together As One and Respect - all social anthems that garnered him the adoration of the people of his country - and across the globe.
Lucky Dube was survived by his new wife Zanele and his 7 children Bongi, Nonkululeko,. Thokozani, Laura, Siyanda, Philani and his brand new three-month old baby Melokuhle.
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