R.I.P. William "Bunny Rugs" Clarke of Reggae Band Third World

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Photo via Third World's Facebook

William Clarke, the singer for Jamaican reggae band Third World, died on Sunday at home in Orlando, Fla., as The New York Times reports. Clarke suffered from leukemia. He was 65.

Also known as "Bunny Rugs", Clarke joined Third World in 1976, after working with Lee "Scratch" Perry and the band Inner Circle in Jamaica. He appeared on all of Third World's records aside from their debut. In 1977, Third World's popular 96 Degrees in the Shade album was released through Island Records. Their biggest hit came in 1978, with a take on the O'Jays' "Now That We Found Love". They also had a hit in 1982 with the Stevie Wonder collaboration "Try Jah Love". Clarke played with Third World until his death.

As The Times notes, Clarke once described Third World's identity to Billboard as, "Strictly a reggae band, no. Definitely a reggae band, yes." They mixed pop and soul with more traditional reggae sounds.

Clarke is survived by his wife and eight children.

Watch footage from throughout Clarke's career in Third World, below.

"Love Will Always Be There":

"Now That We Found Love":

"96 Degrees in the Shade":

Prisoner in the Street (1980 live album/film):

[url=http://pitchfork.com/news/53848-rip-william-bunny-rugs-clarke-of-reggae-band-third-world/]View the full article[/url]