Sam Clayton Jr., a member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team that inspired the movie “Cool Runnings,” has died from coronavirus.
Clayton, also a lover of reggae music who worked with artists all over the world, died on March 31 in Kingston, Jamaica. He was 58.
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Steel Pulse, a British band who Clayton worked with as a sound engineer, confirmed the sad news in an email to the New York Times.
“In this thieving, cutthroat music industry of ours, he was trustworthy,” frontman David R. Hines wrote.
“Where Sam towered over the rest of his peers, is that he held dearly every task he did, no matter how small or tedious. They all got his relentless undivided attention.”
While he’s famous for his contributions across the music scene — particularly through the “Harry J. Studio” label, Clayton’s first claim to fame was in the sports world. He was a part of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team, which qualified for the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary.
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Representing a sunny, hot nation in the winter games earned the team widespread underdog status and would later inspire the 1993 Disney movie “Cool Runnings.”
Clayton was not one of the four members that crashed during the final race, but his former teammate, Devon Harris, said he was an “integral part” of the squad.
“He was among the very first four selected to spearhead Jamaica’s entrance into winter sports and the Winter Olympics,” he told TMZ.
“He was an amazing human being who will be sadly missed.”
Clayton is survived by his wife, Annie, four children, and three grandchildren.
R.I.P
Rip sad did he live in ja