ET: Guyanese Singer Raye To Be Laid To Rest In London

Hardbeatnews, LONDON, England, Mon, April 3, 2006: The ‘Nat King Cole’ of Guyana, Sol Raye, is set to be cremated on Wednesday, April 5th, at the Kensal Green Crematorium in West London.

Raye died at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London just after 2 p.m. BST on Friday, March 31. He had been fighting prostrate cancer for several years.

Raye, whose real name is Dereyck Marshall Corbin, was the elder brother of Guyana’s main opposition, Peoples National Congress/Reform Leader, Robert Corbin. Corbin is in London helping his sister Tessa Carter and the rest of the family with the funeral arrangements.

Raye’s cancer had spread to his stomach and he had to undergo a major operation last year to take out that growth. At death, he had just half a stomach. Most recently, he was returned to the hospital eleven days ago just two weeks after discharge from his previous visit. He was last week given just two weeks to live.

The late singer entertained audiences on both sides of the Atlantic for nearly four decades. He looked like Nat 'King' Cole and he also sang like him. Among his best-known songs was his version of ‘Unforgettable.’
Raye immigrated to the UK four decades ago and lived in London.

He served his time in menial jobs like paint spraying until making his career in show business. He was a much liked and respected figure in the UK Diaspora, making regular appearances such as at the flood relief concert in February 2005.This February he was hospitalized and unable to either perform or to collect his well deserved Guyana High Commission (UK) Award.

His new album, called ‘Sol Raye Restrospective,’ is due to be released later this year on his own record label, Target.

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