Future of Third World without Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore
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*The huge task before Richard Daley
By Fred Iwenjora
There seems to be an unspoken apprehension in world music on the future of Third world the famed Jamaican recording and touring band since the death of its talented guitarist Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore was announced.
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Coore died on the evening of Sunday 18th January, 2026 leaving the band’s global fan base in mourning and unending speculations.
Will this signal the end of over 50 years reign of Third world as some fans are wont to believe?
Can bassist Richard Daley, the only surviving original member continue to steer the band with its crop of new members to more performances in the spirit of their close friendship ?
Coore was a major driving force of the band dreaming and playing it from beginning until his last breathe.
His signature guitar riffs and singing style gave the band its form, character and uniqueness.
Third World’s influence pervaded the world of music when they created a unique blend of funk, soul, blues, jazz with roots reggae and male choruses.
Not long after, the band’s fame created a relationship with Bob Marley, Jackson Five and later Stevie Wonder with whom they produced and recorded Try Jah Love from the You got the power album.
Before then, their remake of the Ojays hit song ‘Now that we found love’ gave the song another life.
They continued to make albums after albums and never stopped touring since 1973, earning the sobriquet Reggae Ambassadors from Jamaica because of one of their songs of that title.
Their last performance was in 2025 ALBUMS
Since 1973 to present day, Third World churned out about 20 albums with several live albums, and several Grammy nominations to their credit.
With the passing of Coore, a prodigious guitar and Cello talent from age 6, a huge vacuum has been created and a huge task may have seemingly been loaded upon the shoulders of Richard Daley, founding bass guitarist of the band.
Daley who is yet to come to terms with the death of ‘a brother’ since 1969 is the only survivor of the original members of Third World and the mantle of leadership naturally falls on him to coordinate members from now.
Daley and some of his friends originally splinted from Inner Circle band including keyboardist Michael Ibo Cooper, ace guitarist, cellist Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore and percussionist Irvin Carrot Jarret.
After a few years into the band’s formation in 1973, the group’s founding drummer left paving way for Willie Stewart the talented drummer to step in just like the main vocalist for the group stepped out for Bunny Rugs Clark the reggaeful and bluesful sonorous singer to join in 1976.
For many years, these six men really rocked the world with good music, making many albums including Third World, 96 degrees in the shade, Journey to Addis, Rock the world, You’ve got the power, All the way strong, Sense of purpose etc and extensively touring the world at same time to deliver their musical goodies live to enthusiastic audiences.
The band’s unforgettable tour of Nigeria yielded the all time hit song Lagos Jump.
After many successful years, keyboard maestro, Ibo Cooper retired and went to be a music school administrator in 1997.
Drummer Willie Stewart whose drumming signature featured in several albums of Third world also went off to set up other things same 1997.
This departure of Ibo and Willie must have been a blow to the group but Cat Coore seen as the soul of the band wouldn’t give up on Third World; a lifelong project.
The trio of Cat, Richard and Bunny soon filled up the vacant spaces with a crop of new musicians and kept the highly sought after band and brand alive.
Of all the original members of Third World, first to pass on was Bunny Rugs who gave the band its vocal attitude. He was too ill to join the other members in an auspicious world tour at a time and succumbed to cancer in 2014.
He was followed four years later by percussionist Irvin Carrot Jarret, another founding member who left the group 1983 to pursue other matters only to later pass in 2018.
Michael Ibo Cooper died October 13, 2023.
When Bunny died, he left Cat and Richard to run things. And now that Richard is the only survivor after Cat’s recent passing, he apparently has a huge task on his shoulders; to keep the Third world flag flying at full mast with the new crop of younger guys in the family. Or let the Third World dream, mission and vision to die.
I believe he is too Third world- wired to let that happen.
Living the Third World life since 1973 may have reasonably prepared him for the huge task ahead.
75 years old Daley who also has a stand-in bassist must do more in order for the band to keep existing and touring for their fans.
The new Third World family must intentionally carry on buoyed by the ubiquitous Third World repertoire backed by the enduring spirit of brotherhood and extreme musical talent, discipline and devotion of all departed members including Bunny, Carrot, Ibo and Cat in order to continue to fulfil the band’s major founding objective; rock the world with music.
Only in so doing would the souls of the departed rest in peace despite that the world will definitely miss Cat Coore’s peculiar masterful guitar play and showmanship.
The post Future of Third World without Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore appeared first on Vanguard News.
