Jamaican reggae star Gregory Isaacs lost his battle with lung cancer yesterday, aged 59. He died in his London home, surrounded by family. Isaacs had lived with the illness for a year and had courageously continued performing until just a few weeks ago.

The singer, nicknamed Cool Ruler due to his laid back vocal style, came to prominence in the seventies and was perhaps best known for his 1982 album Night Nurse. He had several hits with the Jamaican production duo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, though his career was somewhat marred due to his drug use. Despite this, he continued making music, releasing his final album, the well-received Brand New Me in 2008. More than 500 Gregory Isaacs albums have been released.

Speaking after Isaacs' death, Sly Dunbar commented, ""Gregory's voice and writing ability was wicked. He was one of those soulful singers you could sit and listen to for hours."