RIP Noel "King Sporty" Williams, Miami Reggae Pioneer and "Buffalo Soldier" Writer

Jacob Katel January 7, 2015 11:30AM

When King Sporty died, Rihanna cried.

The man who wrote "Buffalo Soldier" with Bob Marley in a smoke-filled studio in Hialeah flew to the other side on Monday, January 5 in a Miami hospital at the age of 71.

With roots in Jamaica's Trenchtown music scene that wholly informed hip-hop, pioneering forays into electronic dance music, and an indomitable funk, the man born Noel G. Williams led a life in music that affected millions. And he did much of it from his longtime home in Allapattah, where he was also a mini real estate tycoon.

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Jacob Katel

Contact: Jacob Katel