Ghanaian music icon Ebo Taylor has passed away at the age of 90. He died on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Saltpond Hospital, just a day after launching the inaugural Ebo Taylor Music Festival and a month after celebrating his 90th birthday.
The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) confirmed his death, with President Bessa Simons mourning the loss: “Ghana and indeed the world has lost a great son.”
In its official statement, MUSIGA paid tribute, saying, “Uncle Ebo Taylor, rest in perfect peace.” The union described him as “Saltpond’s light, Ghana’s legend, the world’s icon.”
Ebo Taylor’s remarkable career spanned over six decades. He formed and led more than a dozen bands, including his final ensemble, the Ebo Taylor and Family Band. Musicians and fans worldwide have credited him with bringing West African music to the global stage, and his influence continues to inspire future generations.
Born Deroy Taylor on January 6, 1936, in Cape Coast, Taylor was an acclaimed guitarist, composer, bandleader, and producer who shaped Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat music. His sound, a fusion of traditional rhythms with jazz, funk, and soul, became his signature.
Taylor first rose to prominence in the late 1950s with bands like the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band, and later collaborated with Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti in London. Some of his notable works include Love and Death (2008), Appia Kwa Bridge (2012), and Yen Ara (2018), and his music has been sampled by international artists such as Usher.
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