Lieutenant Stitchie, Jamaican dancehall and gospel icon, dies at 60

Jamaican musical icon Lieutenant Stitchie, born Cleveland Laing, has died at the age of 60. He passed away on Monday, September 28, 2026, at the Kingston Public Hospital, just one day before his 61st birthday.

Laing rose to prominence in the early 1980s within the Spanish Town sound system culture. He became a major dancehall figure with hits such as ‘Wear Yuh Size’ and ‘Natty Dread,’ eventually signing with Atlantic Records in 1988. Following a religious conversion in 1997, he successfully transitioned his career from secular dancehall to gospel reggae ministry.

His death follows a period of declining health after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage in September 2024, which had left him with limited mobility and unable to speak. His wife, Sophia Laing, had recently appealed for blood donations as his health fluctuated.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness and various political and cultural figures have paid tribute to Laing, describing him as one of Jamaica’s greatest storytellers and a gifted voice who helped shape the dancehall genre.