Known as King Sporty, Noel G Williams died on 5 January in a Miami hospital, aged 71. King Sporty is known as the co-writer of Bob Marley's song Buffalo Soldier, but above all he was a pioneer of the reggae scene in Miami.
King Sporty settled in Florida in 1968 (paving the way for other émigrés such as Derrick Morgan and Inner Circle), after starting his career as a deejay for Clement Coxsone Dodd (Studio One). It was there that he ran his two labels, Konduko and Tashamba.
His activity as a producer went well beyond reggae. Notably, it was he who sold the rights to Timmy Thomas's hit Why Can't We Live Together.