The Jamaican gospel music community is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved stars, David ‘Kukudoo’ McDermott, who passed away after a short battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His family made the official announcement of his death via the singer’s social media channels on Friday, confirming he was 56 years old at the time of his passing.
“It is with a heavy heart that we, the family of David ‘Kukudoo’ McDermott, have to tell the public that he passed this morning…at this time we ask for grace and respect in our time of grief,” the family’s statement read.
McDermott only received his diagnosis of the blood cancer in late February this year. According to his long-time manager Nicholas Marks, who has represented the artist since 2018, delays in critical testing and the singer’s declining health left little room for life-saving treatment. Blood samples had been shipped to Florida for analysis to map out the most effective treatment plan, but results never arrived in time to intervene. Too weak to tolerate chemotherapy, McDermott ultimately succumbed to the disease, Marks shared in an emotional interview with Observer Online.
He leaves behind three children, who alongside fans across the globe, are grieving the loss of the warm, authentic performer.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the cancer that took McDermott’s life, typically presents with initial symptoms including painless swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin, which often feel like firm rubbery lumps under the skin. Additional common signs include ongoing fatigue, severe night sweats, unexplained weight loss and recurrent fever.
Marks remembered his client as a uniquely genuine and deeply passionate artist, whose commitment to his craft shone through every project he touched. “He was a genuine person and a passionate person, and you could see that…in anything he put his hand on, he put his all in it, and you saw that with his music,” Marks said.
In the wake of McDermott’s death, Marks is moving forward with plans to release the singer’s final, unfinished body of work: a 10-track album titled *Life’s Journey*. The project had been in development for three years, plagued by repeated delays as McDermott navigated his declining health. The pair initially set out to create a 12-track record, but only 10 songs were completed before his passing. Despite the long set of challenges that have dogged the album’s creation, Marks believes the project holds a deeper meaning. “This album must have some greater purpose. From we decided to do the album, he began to get sick, yu caan tell me it don’t have a purpose!” he said passionately.
McDermott’s journey to gospel stardom began long before his diagnosis, growing out of humble beginnings. Before launching his full-time music career, he worked as a machine operator at the now-shuttered Bernard Lodge Sugar Estate. He got his start performing at traditional Jamaican nine-night wake events, called “dead yards,” under the early stage name King David.
His big break came by chance one evening when a church band was performing at a nine-night event. An audio engineer recorded McDermott’s impromptu performance, pressed it to a CD, and within weeks, his tracks *See People Business* and *Leave It Alone* climbed local radio playlists. The songs became ubiquitous across Jamaica, played constantly on public buses and taxis, turning the former factory worker into an overnight star.
From there, his career grew into a full-time vocation, and he became a staple act at the annual Jamaica Independence Gala. His signature sound, a rousing blend of traditional mento music and heartfelt gospel, won over crowds across the island and beyond. He earned a particularly strong fanbase in the United States, and cemented his place as one of Jamaica’s most notable gospel exports. “As a performer, he was loved by many across the world, one who was notable especially in the United States. When you mention any gospel artiste out of Jamaica, Kukudoo has to be part of the conversation, he has to be mentioned. He was a wonderful performer and a genuine individual,” Marks added.
