News : Music producer Warwick Lyn dies

[Roots Archives]

**Warwick Lyn**, the music producer who helped shape some of **Toots and the Maytals**' finest work, died May 10 in Miami, Florida, from a cancer-related illness. He was 64 years old.

Lyn's older brother, Ferdinand Lyn, told The Gleaner his sibling had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February. He also suffered from two tumours in his spinal region and had been wheelchair-bound.

Lyn is scheduled to be buried today at Louis Roman Catholic Church in Pinecrest, Florida.

The fifth of eight children born in Kingston to a Chinese-Jamaican family, Lyn first came to prominence in Manning Cup football, playing for St George's College and Jamaica College. In the 1960s, he got involved in the music business, working as a sound engineer and A&R (Artiste and Repertoire) man for producer Leslie Kong's Beverley's Records.

Kong was the first person to record Bob Marley (1962's Judge Not) and assembled a formidable team of artistes during the mid-1960s. They included Desmond Dekker and the Aces and Toots and the Maytals.

When Kong died from a heart attack in 1971, Lyn became Toots and the Maytals' manager and is credited as co-producer for two of the group's best albums, 1973's Funky Kingston and Reggae Got Soul, which was released three years later.

For most of the 1970s, Lyn worked with Tommy Cowan at Talent Corporation.

They managed and produced acts like The Melodians, Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus, Zap Pow, Inner Circle and Junior Tucker.

"One thing people will always remember about Warwick, he was a calm person. You never saw him ruffled," said Cowan.

Lyn immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s where he operated a painting business. He and his wife, 1973 Miss Jamaica, Patsy Yuen, also ran the Miss Jamaica Miami beauty pageant.

Howard Campbell.

*source : [jamaica-gleaner](http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)*

[Survival]

Respect to Warwick Lyn, and may he rest in peace.

[Henry Morgan]

My condolences to the family, especially wife, Patsy. Their was a true love story.

Henry

[Nikki Kong]

With deepest sympathy to Patsy and family.

[Lois Requa-Dunn]

With my condolences to the family, especially Patsy. Rest in peace, WL.

[Brianna]

This was my uncle. My dad is Christopher Lyn. I loved my uncle so much! Just like in this article he is very calm and iss always happy! I miss him so much. I remember when my mom came in my room and told me he died of cancer. I stared to cry. To think that weekend I had such a fun time. I wish if I knew he was about to die I would have called him and say how much I love him. But this summer my family and I are going to visit aunt Patsy.

[Rebecca Leslie Kong]

My condolences to Warwick's family and to Patsy. Sadly, he is the Godfather I never knew, but heard so much about. He must have been an amazing person for my parents to have chosen him as my Godfather. Rest in peace, Warwick.