Music pioneer Deeon ‘DJ Deeon’ Boyd has .
The news was confirmed in a statement shared on his official Facebook page, after a series of health issues.
‘I am sorry to announce the legendary Artist, Producer, DJ, Label owner, and my friend Deeon ‘DJ Deeon’ Boyd gained his wings today,’ it read.
‘The family thanks you for your support and will announce arrangements in the coming days.
‘Thank you for your understanding. #DJDEEONforever #GRC #lowendforlife.’
His cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Devastated fans flocked to the comments below to pay tribute and share their best memories of the late DJ.
‘Countless happy moments you gave us at any dancefloor your music was played…thank you for them all, RIP DJ Deeon,’ one wrote.
‘Truly devastating — you were the soundtrack to so my most fun, unforgettable memories… the sound you pioneered, the movement you inspired, the lives you’ve touched…, [sic]’ another said.
‘DJ Deeon was a trailblazer, who cultivated, and captivated. Rest easy, king. We’ll keep it G for you down here in your memory.’
‘He was such an amazing DJ from my generation… His music will always live on,’ a follower penned.
A commenter said: ‘DJ Deeon thank you for all the wonderful music, you brought so much joyful dancing into my life, RIP.’
As a Facebook user added: ‘My deepest heartfelt condolences to your family friends and loved ones Amen.
‘Thank you for sharing your love for music dance and vibes.’
Boyd was known as a pioneer of ghetto house music in the early 90s, and worked on Back 2 Skool, Freak Like Me, House-O-Matic and Let Me Bang.
He was also given a shout-out in Daft Punk track Teachers, released in 1997, for his work in the genre.
The producer had been devastated by a string of health issues over the years, including cancer, a leg amputation and an illness that forced him to undergo a quadruple bypass heart surgery.
Through this, he vowed to keep performing before he suffered a series of strokes which began at the very end of 2018.
In a public CrowdFunder to cover his mounting medical bills, he wrote: ‘Like all the times before I never gave up. I love what I do and I’ll never give up.’
Discussing his issues, Boyd revealed that he suffered a mini stroke once again in September, 2019, which forced him to cancel a show, before he was struck down by ‘multiple mini strokes in 12 months’.
‘Something inside me was really not happy and wasn’t getting any better,’ he shared. ‘My recovery became twice as slow to get better each time it happened.
‘Doctors could not really pin point the reasons and I was put on a heart recorder to monitor my heartbeat as it often has irregular rhythms and they were tryin to catch it [sic].’
He took time off from music to recuperate, undergoing rehabilitation and speech therapy, but still hopeful that he could return to performing for fans around the world – something doctors didn’t think he was physically ready to do.
‘I was stressed out and couldn’t even say when I will be able to be independent enough to go back to how things were,’ Boyd added. ‘There were so many risks and too many factors. Bad weather. The Coronavirus scare. My prosthetic.
‘I was tired of the fighting and disappointments and didn’t even know how to pay back the promoters. I was stuck.
‘I hoped things would get better but I had no drive left, I’d given the process my all. The final stroke was different and was not working itself out like the past two. Every thing was so much harder with minimal results. I was tired. And sorry to have let people down [sic].’
