Lieutenant Stitchie, Dancehall’s “Governor” Turned Gospel Icon, Dies Just Shy Of His 61st Birthday 

News Americas Now, NY, NY, Mon. Sept. 28, 2026: Veteran deejay and gospel reggae icon Lieutenant Stitchie has died at age 60, just one day of his 61st birthday.

Rev. Dr. Lt. Stitchie O.D. died on Monday, September 28, 2026 at the Kingston Public Hospital just a day before his birthday. Medical personnel at KPH confirmed that the Fast and Pray deejay passed away this morning. His death comes barely 24 hours after his wife, Sophia Laing, went public appealing for blood donors after his blood count fell, and just over two years after a debilitating stroke in September 2024 left him unable to speak and with limited mobility. Through it all, she had remained hopeful, telling supporters days earlier: “So many persons who took ill after my husband are not with us. But to God be the glory, he is still in the land of the living.”

Long before he became one of gospel reggae’s most respected voices, Stitchie, born Cleveland Laing, was Spanish Town’s rising star on the competitive sound-system circuit of the early 1980s, coming up alongside future greats like Papa San and Wickerman. A former athlete and biology teacher, he broke through in 1986 with the comic hit “Wear Yuh Size,” followed by “Natty Dread,” which spent 14 weeks atop the Jamaican charts. That run made him one of dancehall’s first artists to land a major international deal, signing with Atlantic Records in 1988 and releasing three albums, including “Wild Jamaican Romances.” He went on to record a stretch no other dancehall artist has matched – 14 No. 1 songs in a single calendar year – and is credited as the first to bring dancehall to Germany and the Netherlands.

The turn came in 1997. Injured in a car accident en route to Reggae Sumfest, he performed anyway, against medical advice – and was handed a Gideon Bible by a young Canadian fan after the show. He read it that night in his hotel room and became a born-again Christian, walking away from secular dancehall to build a second career in gospel reggae, beginning with 1999’s “To God Be the Glory.” The reinvention earned him Outstanding Male Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year at the Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards, honors from JARIA and IRAWMA, two honorary doctorates, and recognition during Jamaica’s 59th Independence anniversary National Honors and Awards.

He leaves behind a catalog that bridged two worlds most artists never cross – and a title, “The Governor,” that both sides of Jamaican music agreed he’d earned.

Popular tracks includes:

Wear Yu Size – One of his most well-known and streamed classic tracks.

Natty Dread – A hard-hitting rhythm classic on the Heavenless Riddim.

Fast & Pray – A powerful roots and gospel track known for its energetic delivery.

Real Life Story – A narrative-driven lyrical track showcasing his signature fast-deejaying style.

Great Ambition – A fan-favorite track voiced on the classic Kuff Riddim.

One Blood – A notable collaborative track featuring fellow dancehall legend Papa San.

Girls Nowadays – A newer single featured on the John John Dancehall Riddims: Peanie Peanie