South African reggae singer Lucky Dube performs at the global call concert against poverty in Johannesburg, South Africa, 02 July 2005. – Lucky Philip Dube was a South African reggae musician and Rastafarian. He recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans in a 25-year period and was South Africa’s biggest-selling reggae artist. Dube was murdered in the Johannesburg suburb of Rosettenville on the evening of 18 October 2007. PHOTO| FATI MOALUSI / AFP
August 3, 2023, would have been the late Lucky Philip Dube’s 59th birthday.
The renowned and worldwide celebrated South African reggae artiste was murdered as he dropped off his two young children at his uncle’s suburban Johannesburg home on October 18, 2007.
According to South African media reports from 2007, three gunmen trailed and attempted to carjack him as he drove his Chrysler 300C.
The robbers had been on the prowl for a Chrysler that night. He initially fled the first carjack attempt scene, but the robbers caught up with him outside his uncle’s house.
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His two children were already out of the vehicle when the robbers shot and killed him at the crime scene.
He died at the age of 43 after being shot twice.
In court hearings, the killers claimed they had been after the vehicle. They claimed they thought a Nigerian was driving the vehicle and did not know the legendary Lucky Dube was inside it.
They left the car behind, saying they could not drive off in a car that had been in collusion because the Chrysler hit a tree.
They were sentenced to serve life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 24 years.
In Kenya, the legendary South African crooner continues to trend as fans memorialize him and give him his flowers posthumously.
Some said they were playing his music loudly in a school staffroom, while others compared his prowess with other renowned musicians across various music genres, and Dube still beat them- in their opinions.
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Among the top Lucky Dube songs Kenyans continue to love are House of Exile, Remember Me, Prisoner, The Way It Is, Big Boys Don’t Cry, Back To My Roots, Victims, Till You Lose It All, Taxman, Romeo, and Crazy World among several others.
Before his accidental murder, Lucky Dube was a shining African star. He earned the Best Selling African Music Prize at the 1996 World Music Awards.
He won several other nominations and awards, including the International Artist of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards and four OKTV Awards in 1989.
He worked with American Motown Records as well as Warner Music and was able to release several albums that contained celebrated singles. He revealed his music was inspired by Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff and focused on socio-political songs relevant to the South African audience during apartheid.
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