UK Reggae DJ & racial campaigner Mikey Dread passes on
From: Nan
Lewis <nanlewis@crosslink.net>
Date: Tue Apr
17, 2001 01:57:03 PM America/Montreal
To: RAW Forum
<raw@databack.com>
Subject: Mikey
Dread Passes...
Reply-To:
raw@databack.com
VERY
SAD NEWS.... from rec.music.reggae...
Reggae
DJ/racial campaigner passes on wailingwailers (28/M/Taunton, UK)
4/17/01
11:10
am
Friends and colleagues have been
paying their respects to broadcaster and campaigner Mikey Dread who has died
suddenly. Mikey Dread, who was 44, collapsed yesterday lunchtime in the foyer of
Unity FM, the radio station he helped set up in Swindon. There are no suspicious
circumstances surrounding his death and it is thought he may have suffered a
heart attack. Mikey's friends have described him as a man of humour, conviction,
passion and compassion.
Long-time friend and
co-worker on BBC Radio Bristol's Black Echo programme, Evadney Campbell last saw
him on Sunday when they worked together on the programme. "Everything was fine,
there was no indication of anything wrong," she said. "He was quite an active
sports person who loved badminton and regularly played table-tennis. He took me
under his wing when I started presenting, his heart was in the right place and
he would do anything for you.
It will be
a long time before I come to terms with this," she added. Friend and
co-campaigner Leo Goodrich said the whole community would miss him. Leo
Goodrich, friend and co-campaigner "I feel he did a lot for his age in trying to
promote the standing of the black community," she said. "I'm sure they all give
their condolences. It is a sad loss." She added that there was never a dull
moment with Mikey and she would always remember how he rushed about. Mikey
worked tirelessly to promote racial equality and awareness both with Unity FM
and with BBC Radio Bristol's Black Echo programme and the Black Echo
website.
Senior Journalist at BBC Bristol
Online, Lisa Rowell, said Mikey had striven to help set up the Black Echo site.
"Mikey was determined to make the site a reality and worked with myself and
Evadney to build it. His drive and determination will be greatly missed by
everyone here," she said. Mikey was involved in many projects including helping
to set up the Slavery Exhibition in
Bristol and
the Campaign for Racial Equality Kuumba project. He also helped liaise between
the police and black communities in Bristol and Wiltshire, and was due to MC the
forthcoming Wailers band gigs in Bristol. Those who campaigned alongside him and
those who benefited from his work say he will be sorely missed. Anyone who would
like to leave a message of condolence can do so on the Black Echo message board
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/messageboard.shtml .
Posted: Mon - February 24, 2003 at 08:05 PM