Papa Kojak, a deejay best known for his duets with singer Liza in the late 1970s, died in Linstead, Jamaica on September 12. He was 68.

His wife, Beneshia Williams, said he passed away at the Linstead Hospital in St. Catherine parish but did not give a cause of death. She said Papa Kojak had suffered health problems in recent years.

Also known as Nigger Kojak, his monikers were taken from the bald-headed detective Kojak, a character played by American actor Telly Salavas during the 1970s. His hit songs with Liza, included ‘Hole In de Bucket’, ‘Fist to Fist’ and ‘Bam Bam’.

Released in 1979, ‘Hole In de Bucket’ was a toast to Dennis Brown’s hit song, ‘Ain’t That Loving You’, produced by Joe Gibbs. Distributed in the United Kingdom by the Laser label, both songs did well on reggae charts in that country.

Papa Kojak had another big hit for Gibbs with ‘Green Bay Killing’, inspired by the controversial 1978 incident at the Green Bay shooting range in St. Catherine, in which five men were killed by members of the Jamaican army.

Written By Howard Campbell