The classically-trained rebel who took cello sophistication into roots music leaves behind a half-century of genre-defining work—and a decimated founding lineup
KINGSTON, Jamaica — WiredJa Staff | January 19, 2026 - Stephen "Cat" Coore, the guitarist, cellist, and musical visionary who co-founded Third World and spent fifty years proving that reggae needed no permission to conquer the globe, died suddenly on Sunday evening. He was 69. His family confirmed the passing but offered no details on the cause of death—only the brutal fact of his absence.
