Roman 'Hit Song' Stewart is dead

STEWART a talented youngster with a great operatic voice.

Singer Roman Stewart, the younger brother of well-known reggae artiste, Tinga Stewart, died in hospital in Long Island, New York on Sunday night following what has been described as a "massive heart attack". He would have been 47 in May.

"I'm going to miss him dearly. I'm down right now," a grieving Tinga Stewart told the Observer yesterday from New York. "He was so jovial. Everybody loves him. You can't do Roman anything for him to be upset."

According to Tinga Stewart, Roman had gone to see a performance by Freddie McGregor in the Bronx on Saturday night, after which he left to attend a birthday party where he sang two songs. When he was about to perform the third song, he put the mike down, complaining of chest pains. He later collapsed and was rushed to hospital in a coma.

Stewart regained consciousness after an operation lasting several hours and is reported to have said: "If I get through this, I'm going to change my life."

But Stewart, who was known for his heavy drinking and substance abuse, went into a second coma, from which he didn't recover.

Roman Stewart first came to national prominence when he won the annual Festival Song Contest in 1975 with Hooray Festival, written by Tinga, who the year before had topped the contest with the Ernie Smith-penned Play Di Music.

However, Roman Stewart will be best remembered for the Tommy Cowan-produced number, Hit Song, as well as Changing Times produced by Derrick Harriot.

Yesterday, Cowan remembered Roman Stewart as a talented youngster with a great operatic voice who used to sing like Mario Lanza on the street down by the waterfront. Michael Barnett of MKB Promotions, who expressed shock at the news, said: "He was very good at recording covers, one of which included Millie Jackson's Loving Arms. Just two Sundays ago, I did a feature on him on my programme on Kool FM."

Veteran crooner Ken Boothe also testified to Stewart's vocal ability. "He was a very good singer," Boothe told the Observer. "I'm going to miss him a lot."

Stewart will be buried on Saturday in Queens, New York.