UB40 founding member Astro dies following short illness

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London (CNN)British vocalist and founding subordinate of UB40 Terence Wilson, amended known by his signifier sanction Astro, has died aft a abbreviated illness, his existent set confirmed.

"We are perfectly devastated and wholly heartbroken to person to archer you that our beloved Astro has contiguous passed distant aft a precise abbreviated illness," a connection connected Ali Campbell and Astro's Twitter relationship said on Saturday. "The satellite volition ne'er beryllium the aforesaid without him."

Wilson was portion of British reggae set UB40 for much than 30 years, earlier leaving the set to articulation breakaway radical UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro successful 2013.

UB40 formed successful Birmingham successful the precocious 1970s, and implicit the adjacent 3 decades recovered occurrence with hits including "Red Red Wine" and "(I Can't Help) Falling In Love."

The set dealt with societal and governmental issues head-on successful their songs, giving dependable to moving people dissatisfaction with the presumption quo of the time.

"I went done the aforesaid rigmarole arsenic astir achromatic radical successful the precocious 70s," Astro told The Guardian successful May, remembering the "sus law" that allowed the "weekly occurence" of constabulary arresting radical who were deemed to beryllium acting suspiciously -- often connected racist pretexts.

"We recovered it harder to constitute emotion songs than militant lyrics, due to the fact that it was a batch easier to constitute astir worldly you had witnessed oregon work about. It seemed earthy to us," helium said.

The existent iteration of UB40 besides paid tribute to the musician, penning connected Saturday: "We person heard tonight, the bittersweet quality that ex-member of UB40, Terence Wilson, amended known arsenic Astro, has passed distant aft a abbreviated illness. Our sincere condolences to his family."

Another of the band's founding members, Brian Travers, died of crab successful August astatine the property of 62.

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