Papa Saxa

Saxa (born Lionel Augustus Martin; 5 January 1930 – 3 May 2017) was a Jamaican saxophonist famous for having performed with the British ska band The Beat. He also played with many early ska and reggae stars such as Laurel Aitken, Prince Buster and Desmond Dekker. He moved to the UK in 1960, living in London for 18 months before moving and settling in Birmingham. Born in Croft's Hill, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica (then a colony of the United Kingdom), he played in The International Beat with musicians Tony Beet, Everett Morton and Mickey Billingham from 1990 to 1995. He retired and lived in Birmingham. He died on 3 May 2017, aged 87.