The 73-year-old musician, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, was part of the current line-up alongside Charley “Aitch” Bembridge and Pauline Black On Instagram, the group wrote: “We are devastated to confirm that Selecter frontman Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson has died after a short illness. “The world has lost a 2-Tone original, a talented musician and an absolute gentleman. We have lost our beloved friend and bandmate.
RIP Gaps.” Hendrickson worked with the group off and on over the years and shortly before his death. Management company DMF Music confirmed he died aged 73.
Black joined a fledging The Selecter, inspired by punk and reggae, in 1979 and the band released their debut album Too Much Pressure the next year. She wrote on her Facebook page that she was “too devastated to say anything coherent at the moment” following Hendrickson’s death. Black added that she was sharing a message from his family, which said they were “saddened to announce the passing of our dearly beloved ‘Gappa'”.
It added: “He passed away in the early hours of Tuesday 11th June 2024 in Coventry, the city where he came to fame as frontman for the 2-Tone group The Selecter. “Gappa was actively performing with the group until he was diagnosed with cancer last year. Even then, he fought his way back from ill health to join Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra as a guest artist for their Autumn/Winter Tour 2023.
“Gaps was known the world over for singing the title track on T.
