7 months ago
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Morgan Heritage singer Gramps Morgan has revealed that his brother Peetah Morgan—who passed away in February at age 50—had died from an extremely rare medical condition that doctors described as “one in a million.”
He, however, chose not to disclose the specific nature of the condition out of respect for Peetah’s widow, who he said is the most appropriate person to elaborate on the cause of Peetah’s death if she chooses to do so publicly.
“There doesn’t need to be any speculations,” Gramps told Onstage’s Winford Williams at the Love and Harmony Cruise 2024. “I mean as the family describe it and the doctor described it, he had a condition that was one in a million and if it was one in a million that’s what catch Peetah but the greatest thing is to know that he didn’t suffer. He wasn’t in no pain and it was no cancer nor any crazy fatal disease but like I say to people I reserve that right to his wife and his children. You know it was an ailment that nobody expected.”
He described Peetah’s illness as both rapid and unexpected, revealing that it took his life within just 30 to 45 days of its onset.
“We was in Jamaica the January and in less than 30, 45 days, my brother had a transition so we kinda leave that ,that part is privacy for the family. People are going to speculate because of the nature of how it happened so fast and it wasn’t a situation that was prolonged.”
Related: Watch Peetah Morgan’s Last Major Performance With Morgan Heritage In Jamaica
Peter ‘Peetah’ Morgan (photo C. Brandon)Gramps also discussed the profound impact of Peetah’s passing and explained that he felt a responsibility to share his grief because he considers the fans of Morgan Heritage to be like extended family.
“Weh we haffi realise as Morgan Heritage is that there is a musical family as well, unno a feel it, unno inna pain as well and just foi jus come on, I just wanted to just come on and relax and escape,” he reasoned. “I just come from Asia, I wanted to just get away and get a change but this a we people…just to be here and among the fans, Christopher Martin, Tarrus Riley, Buju Banton, Beres Hammond, the brethren Tango, you(Winford), Allison Hinds .it’s special inno… so we owe the people because we are public servants of music.”
“It’s a hard time for the music inno, Peetah was truly before he passed I always say this ,one of the greatest of all time, just some of the things that he was able to do vocally within reggae music and just music period and you think of the times of us harmonizing together and looking to my right from my keyboard and knowing that will no longer happen again.”
“Those are the things that hurt and those are the things that you miss,” he added.
Related: Remembering Peetah Morgan: 20 Essential Songs From Morgan Heritage
In his reflection on Peetah’s life, he remembered moments they shared as children long before they were stars.
“You think about things like the first time you brought him to the first grade as children before music before the world know about Morgan Heritage and those times resonate inna your heart and spirit and you remember everything it took for us to build the thing that they call Morgan Heritage and to know that you haffi carry that on now without him it hurt inno. Peetah was my best friend.”
He continued: “We had a family group where all of the members talk, me Gramps, Peetah, Luna, Mojo and Lukes and he would always send jokes on Instagram and certain mornings when you get up you no see the jokes dem again, simple things like that weh we take for granted and me give thanks for Joey Bodofooko fi really say come out inno cause everybody really deh inna a hole.”
Gramps admitted contemplating retirement after losing Peetah, who was his closest confidant. “At one point mi feel like me wah retire because we build everything together, from first grade he was my best friend next to Buju Banton and now that’s no longer here.”
“So we drawing up we self, pulling it together and trying because him wudda seriously want it to carry on so when me say Morgan Heritage to the year 3000 and beyond, I made that a promise to him and the last days we talked while he was on his bed and him say yow just don’t stop and songs like Bulbie released a song called A Solid Woman, all of these things were planned a year ago, that’s how far advanced we were so there’s still so much music left to be released and I am really happy I was able to share that life with him as mi likkle bredda but mi miss him and a big chunk of music was taken away from us,” Gramps said.
Watch the full interview below:
English (US) ·