Legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Ebo Taylor has died at the age of 90, the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has announced. 

Taylor passed away early on Saturday, 7 February 2026 at the Saltpond Hospital, the Ghana Music Union said in a statement. MUSIGA president Bessa Simons said: “Ghana and indeed the world has lost a great son.”  

Taylor’s passing comes just a month after he celebrated his 90th birthday, and a day after the launch of the Ebo Taylor Festival, an event set up to honour his musical legacy. In its statement MUSIGA said: “Uncle Ebo Taylor Rest in perfect peace.”  

Born Deroy Taylor on 6 January 1936 in Cape Coast, he became one of Ghana’s most influential guitarists, composers, bandleaders and producers. For more than six decades he helped shape highlife and Afrobeat music in Ghana and beyond, blending traditional rhythms with jazz, funk and soul to create a signature sound.  

Taylor first rose to prominence in the late 1950s with the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band. In 1962 he took his Black Star Highlife Band to London where he worked with Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and other African musicians, before returning home to produce recordings for major Ghanaian artists including Pat Thomas and C.K. Mann.  

His music later found new audiences across the world. In the 21st century international producers sampled his work, including Usher on “She Don’t Know” featuring Ludacris from Taylor’s song “Heaven.” He also released acclaimed albums such as Love and Death (2008), Appia Kwa Bridge(2012) and Yen Ara (2018).  

Taylor continued to perform and record into his late 80s, most recently with the Ebo Taylor JID022album released as part of the Jazz Is Dead series in 2025.  

MUSIGA’s tribute described him as “Saltpond’s light … Ghana’s legend … the world’s icon” and noted he had formed and led more than a dozen bands, with his final ensemble being the Ebo Taylor and Family Band.  

Taylor’s death is mourned by musicians and fans across Ghana and the global music community, many of whom credit him with raising the profile of West African music.