Who was Denroy Morgan? Morgan Heritage's Peter 'Peetah' Morgan's father was also a reggae musician

Denroy Morgan was a Jamaican reggae artist who began his career in the 1970s. He is the father of Peter "Peetah" Morgan, the lead singer of the well-known reggae band, Morgan Heritage.

On Sunday, February 25, Peetah Morgan passed away at the age of 46. The cause of death has not been disclosed by his family. Peetah's death comes nearly two years after his father's death in March 2022.

Denroy Morgan was an American reggae artist born in Jamaica. At the age of 20, Morgan traveled to the United States to become a musician. He was a part of the Black Eagles, a 1970 American reggae band formed in New York City. After 1980, he also became a successful solo reggae artist. His children followed the same career path and formed the reggae band Morgan Heritage in 1994.

Peetah Morgan was the lead singer, and his siblings, namely Una Morgan, Nakhamyah “Lukes” Morgan, and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan, were also part of the band.

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Denroy Morgan began the New York City reggae band Black Eagles

Born in 1945, Denroy Morgan came to the United States in 1965 with the hopes of becoming a musician. As per Reggaeville, he enrolled in the New York School of Music and studied piano and guitar. He started a New York band called Mad Creators before the creation of the Black Eagles.

In the 1970s, Denroy Morgan formed the New York City-based Jamaican reggae band, Black Eagles. He was joined by Devon "Igo Levi" Foster and Llewellyn "Jah T" Breadwood.

The Black Eagles first saw success when they won the New York Reggae Music Festival in 1977. In 1981, he had his first successful solo release, titled I'll Do Anything For You. The single was backed by the Black Eagles and stood at No. 9 on the American Soul chart and No. 7 on the dance charts.

In 1984, Denroy Morgan signed a deal with RCA Records, becoming the first reggae artist to be signed by the label. As a part of the deal, he released another reggae album, Make My Day.

Morgan's other albums include Sweet Tender Love (1981), and Salvation (1998). During his musical career, Morgan also tried to build an aptitude and love for music among his children, per Reggaeville.

Morgan's children went on to form several musical groups, including LMS, The Dreads, and Morgan Heritage. Morgan Heritage, led by Peetah Morgan, became an internationally acclaimed culture and roots band. The band also won a Grammy in 2016 in the Best Reggae Album category for their album Strictly Roots.

Morgan passed away at his home in Georgia in March 2022, after battling cancer.