Members of the Rhythm Masters Band (from left): Mikey Chung, bass guitar; Copeton Samuels, tenor sax; David Madden, trumpet; and Calvin ‘Bubbles’ Cameron, trombone, during the Tribute to the Greats awards ceremony held at Curphey Place on August 1, 2009.
Multi-instrumentalist, musical arranger and record producer, Mikey Chung, passed away Tuesday night at the University Hospital of the West Indies, his brother, Chalwa ‘Charlie’ Chung, confirmed. He was 71.
Chung was reportedly ailing from myeloma and had been living in the United States, where he was being treated.
“Mikey came to Jamaica early in 2020, and then he returned home in January this year. He wasn’t responding to treatment, and so he came home to be with family and friends,” his brother told The Gleaner.
Keyboard player, Robbie Lyn, who played with Chung on many sessions throughout the years, noted that after his friend returned to Jamaica, “although he had bone marrow cancer, he caught COVID and survived, but he went through a lot”. He remembered Chung as “a decent human being and an exceptional talent”.
A St George’s College alum who was studying electrical engineering at CAST – now UTech – Chung was lured away by the sound of music. He told United Reggae in a December 2018 interview that “Niney Holness [producer] used to come up to CAST every day and pull us out of class and bring us to the session ... I also think I have a record for playing with every band out of Jamaica. I played for Byron Lee; I played for Vikings; I’ve played for everybody. I was a member of Generation Gap. I was a member of Inner Circle. I was a member of a whole heap of bands. I loved music so much, whoever wanted me, I went and played with them.”
Charlie said that up to last year, when Mikey came to Jamaica, he had participated in a session for Reggae Month.
DEDICATED TO CRAFT
“But he didn’t do any performances this year. Both my brothers, Mikey and Geoffrey [also deceased], were very talented. Mikey started music from in the ’60s when he was going to school. He was very humble, kind-hearted and dedicated to his craft. There is so much more I can say about him, but my headspace isn’t right just now,” a grieving Charlie Chung stated.
Among the bands that Mikey Chung also played music for were the Mighty Mystics, The Virtues, the Federal Studios house band, the Now Generation Band, Lee Perry’s band The Upsetters and the Compass Point All Stars (Island Records). He backed artistes including Jacob Miller and Inner Circle in the 1970s and was a member of Word, Sound and Power from 1978, along with the famous ‘riddim twins’ Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.
According to his bio, Chung backed Peter Tosh on Mystic Man, Wanted Dread and Alive and Bush Doctor, playing guitar and synthesiser. He played guitar for Black Uhuru on their albums Red and Chill Out.
“Mikey played music for many of Jamaica’s top artistes as well as international acts,” Charlie shared. Among them were Maxi Priest, Grace Jones, Serge Gainsbourg, Bette Midler, Big Mountain, Art Ensemble of Chicago, James Brown, Garnett Silk, Joe Cocker and Sinéad O’Connor.
Bridget Anderson, who was the manager of the late Garnett Silk, expressed shock at Chung’s passing. “He did a stint with Garnett, and I remember that he was exceptionally talented. May his soul rest in peace,” Anderson said.
Born in 1950, Mikey was actually the older brother of Geoffrey Chung, although many sources claim that he was younger. “Mikey was actually one year older than Geoffrey. He had one child, a daughter who lives overseas,” Charlie Chung said.
Musician Mikey Chung dies at 71
https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/musician-mikey-chung-dies-at-71_240126
How did Jamaican Musician, Mikey Chung die? Musician Mikey Chung’s Cause of Death
https://youtu.be/piQ4JCO44xk
Musician Mikey Chung dies at 71. https://youtu.be/aqOGjv9O93s
