UB40 Founding Member Terence ‘Astro’ Wilson Dead at 64
Astro left the original band in 2013 and went on to reform a breakaway band with former members Ali Campbell and Micky Virtue.
Siphiwe Sibeko via Reuters
British reggae band UB40 founder Terence Wilson, who went by stage name Astro, has died at the age of 64 after a shorter illness, his band confirmed via Twitter. The group, whose hits include “Red Red Wine” and “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” topped charts in the late 1970s and 80s and broke up in 2013—but members Astro, Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue reformed a breakaway band the same year. “We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Astro has today passed away after a very short illness,” the band confirmed Saturday. The band’s founding saxophone player and songwriter Brian Travers died in August at the age of 62.
We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Astro has today passed away after a very short illness. The world will never be the same without him.
— ALI CAMPBELL & ASTRO (@UB40) November 6, 2021
We ask you to please respect his family’s privacy at this incredibly difficult time. pic.twitter.com/GRDjtApyzy
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