Nine night for Skill Cole tonight

The nine-night ceremony for Allan ‘Skill’ Cole, legendary Jamaican football star and tour manager for Bob Marley and the Wailers, will be held tonight at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Hope Road, St Andrew.

Cole, who had been ailing, passed away on Tuesday, September 9, at the University Hospital of the West Indies. He was 74.

“Allan was well-loved by all. His influence was huge ... it spanned sports and entertainment ... and it was global. We know that a lot of his friends and well wishers will want to be present at the nine night, so we figured that Ranny Williams would be the ideal place to host it. Much gratitude to those who made this possible,” a representative for the family told The Gleaner.

Plans for the funeral service are in progress. “It will be held mid-October. The exact date will be announced soon,” the rep shared.

Allan Cole, who maintained a close friendship with reggae superstar Bob Marley – they both loved football and music – was on the road with the reggae icon during the era of the 70s. Additionally, a union with legendary singer, Judy Mowatt, a member of the I-Three, Marley’s trio of backing vocalists, produced three of Cole’s children, David, Deborah and Johnoi. Cole and Mowatt also formed the label Ashandan, on which her classic album, Black Woman, “widely regarded as the greatest reggae album ever recorded by a female artiste”, was first released.

The name Ashandan was a combination of their Rastafarian tribes of Asha and Dan. In the Twelve Tribes of Israel organisation, members are assigned to a tribe based on their birth month. Born on October 14, Cole is from the tribe of Dan. Asher is associated with December, Mowatt’s birth month.

In paying tribute to Cole, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, hailed his prowess on and off the football field.

“Skill, as we called him with much affection, was born to play the beautiful game. We recall with much pride that he started his international career for Jamaica just before his 15th birthday – that’s still a national record. We drew inspiration from his incredible skill and his unmatched records including his exploits in Brazil. Our Jamaican, was the first overseas player to play in the Brazilian league. Just imagine that before Skill, no foreigner had played in the Brazilian league. Allan also contributed significantly to Jamaican music in his role as tour manager for Bob Marley and the Wailers and as co-song writer on the band’s mega hit, War. I offer my sincerest condolences to his family and all those who will mourn him. We shall miss him.”

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com