Reggae singer Ellis dead at age 70

LONDON, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Jamaican-born reggae singer Alton Ellis, known for his unique "rocksteady" sound," has died in London at the age of 70, his agent says.

Agent Trish De Rosa remembered the so-called Godfather of rocksteady, who was diagnosed with cancer last year, as a very dedicated musician who refused to "slow down," the BBC said Sunday.

"His life was the music and the stage," De Rosa said of Ellis, who died Friday of unspecified causes. "He was getting a tremendous amount of work right up to the end -- it was very difficult to get him to slow down."

De Rosa told the BBC the Jamaican government was considering giving the reggae star a state funeral in his homeland.

Among Ellis' hits with his group, The Flames, were "I'm Just a Guy" and "I'm Still in Love."

Ellis is survived by more than 20 children.