Reggae legend Cat Coore’s passing ‘hard to process’
Published:Tuesday | January 20, 2026 | 12:05 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Colin Leslie, a lifelong friend of reggae legend Cat Coore, is trying to comfort himself with the words, “God knows best”. Leslie didn’t just hear that his friend had died, he was there with Coore’s son when the medical doctor made the pronouncement on Sunday night. In fact, he and Cat had been in contact all day on January 18.
“We were supposed to go to a dinner but Cat told me from in the morning that he wasn’t feeling well,” Leslie shared with The Gleaner.
Although his friend’s stomach issues had eased by later that day, Coore still decided to stay home and watch television.
“I asked him how he was feeling ... because if he wasn’t feeling better I would have gone and taken him to the doctor, or ask his son to do it. But Cat said everything had calmed down. In the night, I got a call from Cat’s son to say that his father was sleeping and he couldn’t wake him up. I immediately jumped up and was at the house in five minutes,” recalled Leslie, a musician and founding member of Third World.
When Leslie reached the house, Cat was lying in the couch and appeared to be sleeping deeply. A call was made to a medical doctor who arrived shortly after, made her checks for all the vitals and subsequently broke the devastating news. Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore, the beloved and charismatic Reggae Ambassador who had led Third World for more than half of a century, was dead.
“I’ve known Cat for a very, very long time,” Leslie said wistfully. “He was 69. He was turning 70 in April ... we spoke a lot about what he wanted to do for his 70th.”
He added, “On Friday, Cat went to the funeral for Wykeham McNeill’s mother ... we were supposed to go together, but I didn’t remember about it, and he went without me. Yuh know what ... God knows best.”
Third World was formed in 1973 when keyboard player Michael ‘Ibo’ Cooper and guitarist and cellist Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore decided to form their own band, along with Inner Circle’s Milton ‘Prilly’ Hamilton. Among the recruits were bassist Richard Daley, formerly of Tomorrow’s Children, drummer Carl Barovier and former Inner Circle percussionist Irvin ‘Carrot’ Jarrett. They made their live début in early 1974. The band’s first single was the self-produced, Railroad Track.
Among Third World’s catalogue of hits are songs such as Reggae Ambassador, Now That We Found Love, 96 Degrees in the Shade, and Try Jah Love. The band has been nominated for a Grammy Award all of 11 times.
AJ Brown, who has been the lead singer for Third World for nearly a decade, told The Gleaner that Cat Coore’s death was “hard to process”.
“I got a call from Norris Webb, the keyboard player for the band ... and you know, it was surreal when he was talking. I guess it sunk in when I had to call other members and tell them. We were making sure that everybody heard. I offered to call a couple members to let them know,” said Brown, who’s currently in Florida.
He said that the last time he spoke with Coore was in December, when the band had a show in Sarasota, USA.
“During the Christmas season, everybody’s off with their family and so I didn’t talk to him since the Sarasota gig in the beginning of December. I didn’t talk to him over the Christmas season and the New Year. I was looking forward to having conversations with him re rehearsals for the Soul Train Cruise in the beginning of February. But um, we haven’t spoken,” Brown shared.
Quizzed re the most impactful or memorable thing that Cat Coore has done or said to him or that he has or seen him do during the decade that they have been touring the world, Brown admitted that that was a challenge.
“If I should answer that, I would be remiss, because it’s not just one impactful thing, it’s just a catalogue of things. So, to even express what was the most impactful is like almost a disservice,” the singer stated.
“What I can say, is that he embodies the whole reason why we do what we do as musicians. To be able to create a brand that has withstood the test of time, and even with his passing will continue to give and to teach so many people about the meaning of, and the reason for what we do as musicians. His talent for music and instrumentation and singing ... he’s a superlative musician, entertainer, songwriter. That’s what I would say in terms of impactful,” Brown said.
In closing, he said, “For me, it’s been a joy touring with him and I will miss him. I will definitely miss him.”
In her tribute to Cat Coore, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, said that “his presence, but there is no doubt that his legacy will live on and continue to inspire current and future generations of musicians”.
Coore is survived by his widow Lisa, his children Shiah, Kanna, Stephen and Ashley, and his grandchildren.