Astro

Terence Wilson (24 June 1957 – 6 November 2021), better known by his stage name Astro, was a British musician, rapper, and toaster, who was part of UB40 from 1979 until he left the group in November 2013. 

His nickname comes from his childhood as he wore a pair of Dr. Martens boots with the model name "Astronaut".

On 6 November 2021, Astro died following a short illness.

In January 2014, Astro, with other former UB40 members Ali Campbell, and Mickey Virtue, announced plans to reform and record under the UB40 name. The band released their new song, "Reggae Music" as a free download in January 2014. In February, with the current group known as UB40 and the newly formed group with Astro as a member both due to perform in Dubai on the same day, the new group announced a name change to 'UB40 Reunited'. The band changed name again, settling on 'UB40 featuring Ali, Astro, and Mickey', until late 2018 when Virtue departed the band, since when they have recorded and performed as 'UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro'.

Discography

• Signing Off (1980)
• Present Arms (1981)
• UB44 (1982)
• Labour of Love (1983)
• Geffery Morgan (1984)
• Baggariddim (1985)
• Rat in the Kitchen (1986)
• UB40 (1988)
• Labour of Love II (1989)
• Promises and Lies (1993)
• Guns in the Ghetto (1997)
• Labour of Love III (1998)
• Cover Up (2001)
• Homegrown (2003)
• Who You Fighting For? (2005)
• TwentyFourSeven (2008)
• Labour of Love IV (2010)
• Getting Over the Storm (2013)
• For the Many (2019)
• Bigga Baggariddim (2021)

UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England.

The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times, and in 1984 were nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Group. UB40 have sold over 70 million records worldwide. The ethnic make-up of the band's original line-up was diverse, with musicians of English, Welsh, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish, and Yemeni parentage.

Their hit singles include their debut "Food for Thought" and two Billboard Hot 100 number ones with "Red Red Wine" and "Can't Help Falling in Love". Both of these also topped the UK Singles Chart, as did the band's version of "I Got You Babe". Their two most successful albums, Labour of Love (1983) and Promises and Lies (1993), reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. UB40 and the English ska band Madness hold the record for most weeks spent by a group in the UK singles chart during the 1980s, with 214 weeks each.

The band's line-up was stable for nearly 29 years, from March 1979 until January 2008, when frontman Ali Campbell left the band, followed shortly thereafter by keyboardist Mickey Virtue. Another member, Astro, remained with the band until November 2013, when he departed the original band to team up with Campbell and Virtue in a new version of UB40. In 2014, legal advice was sought by the original band (now consisting of remaining co-founding members drummer Jimmy Brown, guitarist Robin Campbell, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan, and saxophonist Brian Travers, along with new vocalist Duncan Campbell) who took action against the group containing Campbell, Virtue, and Astro over usage of the band name, due to it being used by both parties. 

On 5 July 2021, it was announced that Matt Doyle (formerly of the reggae band Kioko) would become the band's new vocalist, following Duncan Campbell's retirement due to ill health. Travers died from cancer on 22 August 2021. Former member Astro died on 6 November 2021 after a short illness.