Renowned musician Joe Chelliah dies

SEREMBAN: Renowned local musician Johami Abdullah (pic), 73, passed away on Wednesday at his home in Taman Pinggiran Golf here from brain cancer.

Johami, who was more popularly known as Joe Chelliah, died at 4.20am.

He was born in Muar, Johor, and was part of the Jayhawkers band from 1964 to 1976. He was also a music lecturer with various higher education institutions and was once a board member of the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara).

Johami's wife Nohamidah Abdul Hamid, 67, said her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer in November last year.

"He died at our home, I had been caring for him all night," she said, adding that he had been admitted to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for two days before that for a routine check-up.

"He told me he was strong although he was actually in pain right up to the time he died. He never complained about his pain," she told Bernama.

The late Johami, who leaves behind a wife and two daughters and a son, was buried at the Haji Said cemetery here after Zohor prayers.

Among those who came to pay their last respects to him were singers Roziah Latiff and Datuk A. Rahman Hasan, and Karyawan president Datuk Freddie Fernandez. - Bernama