Jamaica has lost one of its master builders of sound.
Stephen “Cat” Coore, co-founder of the iconic reggae group Third World and a defining force in the evolution of modern Jamaican music, died suddenly on Sunday evening. He was 69.
Coore’s career traced the very arc of reggae’s rise from Kingston studios to global stages. Before forming Third World, he sharpened his craft with Inner Circle, then stepped out to help create a band that would redefine how Jamaican music spoke to the world.
With Third World, Coore helped engineer a sound that dissolved borders — blending reggae with soul, funk, pop, and rock in a way that was both commercially powerful and musically sophisticated. The group’s catalogue produced timeless anthems including Now That We’ve Found Love, 96 Degrees in the Shade, and Try Jah Love, securing their position as one of Jamaica’s most enduring and internationally successful bands.
Beyond performance, Coore was revered as a musical thinker — a guitarist of rare precision, a composer of depth, and a scholar of rhythm and harmony whose influence reached far beyond the stage.
His contributions to Jamaican culture were formally recognized when he received the Order of Distinction from the Government of Jamaica, honoring decades of artistic excellence and cultural leadership.
He is survived by his wife Lisa, his children Shiah, Kanna, Stephen, and Ashley, his grandchildren, and an extended family that includes bandmates, collaborators, and generations of musicians shaped by his work.
Stephen “Cat” Coore did not simply play reggae. He helped design its modern architecture — and that structure will stand long after the final chord fades.
