DESMOND Miles, leader and bass player of The Mighty Vikings band, died yesterday in Florida. His daughter Jennifer confirmed his passing on the band’s Facebook page.

“For those of you who have heard the news, sadly, it is true. For those of you who have not, my father passed away in the early hours of the morning today (yesterday) from a massive heart attack. It is with great sadness that I post this message to you all.”

MILES… passed away in Florida from a massive heart attack

Singer Derrick Harriott performed with the band in the 1960s. He remembers Miles as a “great, great band leader”.

Harriott also described his stint with The Mighty Vikings as fulfilling.

South Florida-based singer Dobby Dobson says he last saw Miles in October at a gospel concert.

“There he stood, bass in hand, fingers moving rapidly over the fretboard, reminding me of the earlier times in Jamaica,” said Dobson.

In September 2004, Miles received the Caribbean Upliftment Programme Award from Don Daly of WVCG Radio for the Mighty Vikings’ contribution to Jamaican culture through music.

A 12-piece, The Mighty Vikings, formed in Kingston during the 1960s, played at parties and in the city’s clubs.

The band split in the 1970s and Miles and his family moved permanently to the United States.

He reformed The Mighty Vikings in 1997 in Miami.