UB40’s Terence Wilson Popularly known as Astro dies at 64

UB 40’s Terrence Wilson, popularly known as Astro, dies at 64. The British vocalist and former member of UB40 died after a brief illness, his current band confirmed.  

Terence Wilson rose to fame in the 1980s with impressive hits like “Red Red Wine” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” which sold over 100 million records.

They also held the record—shared with Madness—for the most weeks spent in the UK singles chart in the 1980s.

Astro performed in the reggae-pop band UB40 for more than 30 years before he gave up the ghost after a short illness.

Terence Wilson, whose stage name was Astro, performed with UB40 for over 30 years until 2013 he formed a breakaway band.

A statement on Ali Campbell and Astro’s Twitter Account  read as follows: “We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken,” 

“We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Astro has today passed away after a very short illness,” his current band, UB40, featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, said on Twitter late Saturday.

“The world will never be the same without him.”

His former band confirmed the news, saying Wilson had died after “a short illness.”

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UB40 British Hip Hop Band

UB40 was founded in 1978 in Birmingham, England, by Robin Campbell, Ali Campbell, Brian Travers, Earl Falconer, James Brown, and Norman Hassan. 

Virtue and Astro joined in 1979, and the lineup remained the same until frontman Ali left in 2008.  He was replaced by another younger brother, Duncan Campbell.

Hailing from the British Midlands city of Birmingham, the group rode a wave of youthful discontent against the economic and political status quo, with their name referring to a form provided to people claiming unemployment benefits.

Astro joined UB40 in 1979  shortly after the band was formed but left in 2013 and went on to perform with the breakaway group.

UB40 features Ali Campbell and Astro, who played some concerts this year and are due to tour in 2022.

The original band broke through in the early 1980s with their unique take on British reggae and found success with hits like Red Red Wine and Can’t Help Falling In Love.

The Birmingham-based group, named after the then-government’s unemployment benefit form, sold more than 70 million records and had three UK number one hits.

A statement from the current UB40 line-up on Twitter said: “RIP Astro.

“We have heard tonight the sad news that ex-member of UB40, Terence Wilson, better known as Astro, has passed away after a short illness. Our sincere condolences to his family.”

UB40 have recorded 39 UK top 40 singles and 28 top 40 albums, with Astro singing lead vocals on the hit Rat In Mi Kitchen which reached number 12 in 1987.

The group also enjoyed success around the world, including in the US, where Red Red Wine went to number one. Another cover, Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, spent seven weeks at number one in 1993.

The original line-up played together for three decades before Ali Campbell left in 2008.

Together, the group landed five songs on the Billboard Hot 100: “Red Red Wine” climbed to the summit in 1988 and spent 40 weeks on the chart; “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was No. 1 in 1993 and stayed on the chart for 29 weeks; “I Got You Babe” (a collab with Chrissie Hynde) reached No. 28 in 1985; “The Way You Do the Things You Do” peaked at No. 6 in 1990; and “Here I Am (Come and Take Me) reached a high of No. 7 in 1991. Notably, all five songs were cover versions. They were first popularized by Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, Sonny & Cher, The Temptations, and Al Green.

Their 1993 album, Promises and Lies, was the group’s biggest chart success, peaking at No. 6 on the all-genre Billboard 200. UB40 has also earned four Grammy nominations: best reggae recording (album) in 1987 for UB40 CCCP (Live in Moscow); best reggae recordings for UB40 (album) and “Breakfast in Bed” (track) in 1988; and best reggae album for Who You Fighting For in 2006.

In an interview with the Guardian in May, Astro spoke about the band becoming the voice of working-class people’s dissatisfaction with political and global issues after they formed in 1978.

He told the paper he experienced the “same rigmarole as most black people in the late 70s”, referring to a law which allowed people to be stopped and searched by police if they were deemed to be acting suspiciously – which Astro said was a “weekly occurrence”.

“We found it harder to write love songs than militant lyrics because writing about stuff you had witnessed or read about was much easier. It seemed natural to us,” he added.

After the news of Astro’s death broke, BBC Radio West Midlands played the UB40 track Sing Our Own Song as a tribute – with presenter Natalie Graham calling his death “very, very sad”.

“Astro really was a wonderful and incredible human being, and obviously, the legacy of the music that we still get to enjoy from the likes of UB40 is something very, very special,” she said.

He acquired his nickname as a child because he wore a pair of Dr Martens boots with the model name “Astronaut”, the musician explained in a 2016 interview with the website UK Music Reviews.

“Fortunately, no one called me astronaut because it is rather a mouthful so they shortened it to Astro and it has stuck ever since,” he added.

When asked how he felt about touring and performing live, Astro said, “There is no job on this planet that gives you the job satisfaction that I get. I live to be on stage.”

In August, fellow UB40 founding member and saxophonist Brian Travers died of cancer aged 62.

Drummer Jimmy Brown told the Guardian this year that the group had even been under surveillance by British intelligence. 

“MI5 were tapping our phones, watching our houses, all sorts,” he said. We weren’t planning the revolution, but if it happened, we knew what side we were going to be on.”