Country: Jamaica
Roman Stewart, also known as Romeo Stewart (11 May 1957 – 25 January 2004), was a celebrated Jamaican reggae singer. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he was the younger brother of fellow reggae artist Tinga Stewart. Roman began his musical career at a young age, recording his first single, "Walking Down The Street," in 1968. In the early 1970s, he released additional singles such as "Changing Times" with Derrick Harriott and "Never Too Young" with Glen Brown. Stewart gained national recognition in 1975 when he won the Festival Song Contest with "Hooray Festival," written by his brother Tinga and Willie Lindo, earning both brothers the label of “festival singers.” In 1976, Stewart achieved a major hit with "Hit Song" (also known as "Natty Sings Hit Songs"), which spoke to the struggles of aspiring musicians trying to escape poverty. That same year, he relocated to New York but continued to maintain strong ties to Jamaica, collaborating with producers like Phil Pratt and Linval Thompson. He had another hit in 1979 with the popular "Rice and Peas" Discomix, recorded with The Rockers All Stars and released on the Hungry Town label. Stewart also explored collaborative projects, releasing two albums of duets with his brother, Brother to Brother and Break Down the Barrier. In 2001, Stewart released his solo album Wisdom of Solomon, produced by UK-based roots reggae and dub engineer Gussie P, which featured updated versions of earlier hits such as "Peace in the City" and "Rice and Peas." On 24 January 2004, after performing at a concert by his longtime friend Freddie McGregor in Brooklyn and singing at a private party that night, Stewart experienced chest pains during his performance. He died the following day from heart failure at Long Island Jewish Hospital in New Hyde Park, Long Island, leaving behind a…
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