Erick Morillo found dead at just 49 years old
Noted DJ and music producer Erick Morillo, who helped popularise house music, was found dead in Miami Beach, authorities said Monday. He was 49.
Officers on Monday were called to Morillo's residence, where they found him dead, police said. A cause of death had not yet been determined.
For nearly 30 years, Morillo was a popular figure in the world of house music, the post-disco sound born in Chicago in the 1980s and taken for a global ride the next decade by British rave DJs including Paul Oakenfold and Pete Tong.
Born in Colombia and once based in New York City, Morillo was second-wave house producer who sometimes eschewed its diva-vocal sound (Robin S, "Show Me Love") in favor of more aggressive percussion and world influences, including dub, reggaeton and Latin flavors.
One result was Reel 2 Real's "Go On Move," better known as "I Like to Move It," which featured the patois vocals of Trinidadian-born American artist Mad Stuntman. It reached chart positions in the United States and Europe.
In the 1990s and 2010s, Morillo was a one-man economic machine in the industry, spawning record labels such as Subliminal and Subusa, promoting and managing artists, producing, remixing and appearing at superclubs as a top-of-the-marquee DJ.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to all who feel for Erick and are affected by this tragic news.
