MAURICE "BLACKA MORWELL" WELLINGTON PASSED AWAY

By Lauren Drummond

New York

Former member of the trio group, The Morwells, vocalist/Percussionist Maurice 
Wellington also known as Blacka Morwell has died at age 50, October 12, 2000.

His common-law wife for 12 years, Karen Rickenbach, a journalist with Reuters 
and author of several books, said that Blacka died last Thursday from 
adenocarcinoma, 10:35AM, at the Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. "When 
I was in Jamaica last July, I noticed that Blacka was loosing a lot of 
weight, having shortness of breath and getting tired very easily and we were 
trying to get him treatment down there," says Rickenbach.  "But they weren't 
helping him so I brought him back to New York and after several weeks of 
being sick we put him in the Methodist Hospital until he passed away."

Wellington was hospitalized for 7 weeks, from tiredness and loosing weight 
and was diagnosed with the disease September 25, 2000 where he suffered from 
three cardiac arrests and later died.

Wellington, who resided both in New York and Jamaica, left the Morwells in 
1981 and started his solo career.  While in the group, he was one of the 
pioneers of Dub music and in fact release, "Dub Me" in 1975 with his other 
stable mates, Louis Davis and Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont.  The Morwells were 
also credited with the use of sound effects like thunderclaps and jet 
take-offs.  They released several hit singles including, "Africa We Want to 
Go," 1978, and "Swing and Dub" in 1974, which featured a spectacular use of
cymbal with Blacka's superb vocals and percussion brought the Morwells to the 
pinnacle in the late 70's.

Blacka will be greatly missed by the Reggae community and his wife, Karen and 
his brother; Roland will be buried in Brooklyn, New York. 
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