THE former lead singer of UB40 has paid a touching tribute to Barnt Green star and former band mate Astro on what would have been his 69th birthday.
Astro, who lived in Barnt Green, passed away back in 2021 after a short illness.
His two-time band mate, Ali Campbell, paid tribute to his friend in a post on social media.
Posted alongside a picture of Astro, Mr Campbell said: “It never gets any easier.
“Happy birthday Astro, we love and miss you.”
Astro was born on June 24, 1957 and at the age of 21 joined the Birmingham group UB40.
The band had a string of reggae hits in the 1980s and 1990s both here and around the world, with Astro’s iconic raps on hits such as ‘Red Red Wine’ and ‘Rat in Mi Kitchen’ in particular making him a popular member.
Both Ali Campbell, and later Astro, left the group, but reunited alongside ex-UB40 keyboard player Mickey Virtue in 2014 to record as a trio.
