In the months following the passing of Jimmy Cliff, Jamaica and the wider music world have lost another towering figure. Stephen “Cat” Coore occupies a distinct place in the island’s musical history for what he helped create, how far his work travelled and how his legacy has deeply reshaped Jamaican musicianship.
Best known as a founding member and musical architect of Third World, Cat Coore’s career spans the formative decades of modern Jamaican music and intersects directly with the period when reggae became a global phenomenon. His influence was not only defined by his ability to move between eras, but most impressively by a rare breadth of multi-faceted skills that allowed him to operate across roles, genres, and musical traditions.
Early Life and Musical Formation
Stephen “Cat” Coore was born on April 6, 1950, in Kingston, Jamaica. He received formal musical training at the Foster Davis School of Music, grounding his talent in theory and technique at a time when structured music education was uncommon among Jamaican popular musicians.
By the 1960s, he was performing professionally along Jamaica’s north coast, developing versatility by playing for mixed audiences in demanding live settings. He first emerged through the Alley Cats before joining Inner Circle in 1969. These early experiences sharpened his ensemble skills and clarified his musical direction, leading to the formation of Third World in 1973.
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Five Fast Facts That Define Stephen “Cat” Coore
By the time Third World emerged, Stephen “Cat” Coore was already operating at a level that placed him among Jamaica’s most technically accomplished musicians. For readers encountering his name for the first time, the following facts help explain why he occupies a unique place in global music history.
- He co-founded and shaped Third World as a global Jamaican band.
As a co-founder and musical director, Cat Coore helped build Third World into one of Jamaica’s longest-running and most internationally successful bands. The group was structured around musicianship, versatility, and live performance, enabling it to sustain global touring schedules and connect with crossover audiences for decades.
- He expanded reggae’s instrumental vocabulary.
Cat Coore foregrounded lead guitar in reggae while also introducing acoustic guitar and cello into the genre. His playing combined melodic soloing with rhythmic precision, expanding reggae’s sonic range without departing from its foundations. Tracks such as “1865 (96 Degrees in the Shade)” demonstrated how non-traditional instruments could deepen reggae’s emotional and historical storytelling.
- He stood at the centre of reggae’s global breakthrough era.
Third World’s early international rise coincided with reggae’s expansion beyond Jamaica. The band opened for Bob Marley in London in 1975 and recorded alongside Marley during the Exodus sessions. They later broke European markets with “Now That We Found Love.” In Jamaica, Third World also performed at major national events, including concerts featuring The Jackson 5, placing Cat Coore on stages that directly connected Jamaican music to global popular culture.
- He collaborated at the highest international level and across generations.
Cat Coore’s collaborations were defined by the range of roles he occupied, not simply by association. With Stevie Wonder, he co-created “Try Jah Love” (1982), written by Wonder and Melody A. McCully, contributing as a guitarist and arranger on one of Third World’s most internationally successful recordings. Beyond this, Coore worked as a guitarist, cellist, composer, arranger, and producer with artists including Dennis Brown, Beres Hammond, The Wailers Band, Bounty Killer, and Soul Syndicate, demonstrating a career not confined to a single era or sound.
- He consistently supported collective musicianship and developing young bands.
Cat Coore was a clear advocate for band culture, consistently arguing that musicians should be treated as creative partners rather than disposable backing players. This philosophy was reflected in Third World’s structure and longevity, as well as in initiatives such as Explanations, Jamaica’s first theatrical band production, which combined live music and performance. He also supported younger groups through mentorship, sharing practical guidance on musicianship, including technique, discipline, and hand health for long-term performance
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A Respected Talent
Cat Coore’s musicianship and contributions to music, both in Jamaica and internationally, cannot be overstated. His work strengthened Jamaica’s reputation as a producer of world-class musical talent, and during his lifetime he earned numerous honours, accolades, and awards in recognition of the gift of his music.
He was ranked #91 on The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, cited for his expressive lead work, rhythmic discipline, and ability to adapt the guitar to reggae in ways that influenced players beyond the genre. In Jamaica, he was awarded the Order of Distinction (OD) for his contribution to national culture.
Among fellow musicians, he was widely respected as a technician, arranger, and bandleader whose authority and influence stemmed from mastery rather than mere celebrity.
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Third World Man from the Land of Creation
Stephen “Cat” Coore’s artist is considered transcendent because it consistently operated beyond narrow definitions of genre or geography. He was a Jamaican musician whose mastery of multiple instruments and creative roles allowed his work to engage global musical traditions while remaining firmly rooted in reggae.
His impact is evident not only in recordings and performances, but in how Jamaican musicians think about bands, instrumentation, and musical longevity. He demonstrated that reggae could be harmonically rich, technically sophisticated, and globally competitive without losing its identity.
Stephen “Cat” Coore died on January 18, 2026 leaving behind a body of work shaped by culture, refined by discipline, and sustained by a level of musicianship that continues to resonate across generations.
