Lucky Dube was attacked and shot by carjacking suspects. QUIST-ARCTON: But that luck ran out on Thursday night on the streets of Rosettenville in suburban Johannesburg. Then when I didn't die, they said, wow, he's a very lucky boy, and they called me Lucky. LUCKY DUBE (Reggae Singer): When I was born, I was sick so they thought I'm going to die. And Lucky Dube often repeated the tale of how he got his name.
He grew up poor and was brought up by his mother. Though South African, Dube had a huge and loyal following around the continent and beyond. OFEIBEA QUIST-ARCTON: With his long rusted dreadlocks shaking in the wind, 43-year-old Lucky Dube was a captivating reggae performer on stage. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton looks back on the life of Lucky Dube. Dube's murder has again raised concern about the high rate of violent crime in South Africa. The crime was apparently witnessed by his teenage daughter and son. He was shot and killed on Thursday in Johannesburg. Across Africa, shocked fans are mourning the death of South African reggae star Lucky Dube.
