LeVaughn Flynn, Entertainment Editor

The Dragon may have taken his last breath, but the musical flame he ignited more than 50 years ago is eternal. Byron Lee's music transcended guitars, drums and revellers and was an impetus for social unification.

This icon of Jamaican music, through his band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, played an integral role in Jamaica's pre-independence musical uprising, setting the foundation for what is today's popular music.

Zeal for life

Personally, Lee was a meticulous man who paid as much attention to his music as the people who he worked with.

He was also a man that embodied passion. His zeal for life, music and people never waned, even as his body grew frail.

A thanksgiving service celebrating Lee's life will be held tomorrow at his alma mater, St George's College, North Street, Kingston, starting at 1 p.m.

Men such as Lee are rare gifts a generation apart. Some of the people who knew him best penned their memories of the Dragon for posterity, with the hope that the flame he lit 50 years ago will never be extinguished.