# Mighty Sparrow Dies at 91

> Calypso legend Mighty Sparrow, Trinidad's Calypso icon, dies at 91 after brief illness.
- Title: Mighty Sparrow Dies at 91 · Rolling Stone | Shortify
- Summary: Calypso legend Mighty Sparrow, Trinidad's Calypso icon, dies at 91 after brief illness. Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed king of calypso music, died at 91…
- Keywords: mighty sparrow, calypso, trinidad, calypso monarch, slinger francisco, calypso music, Mighty, Sparrow, Dies, Rolling Stone
- Source: Rolling Stone — https://rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mighty-sparrow-dead-obituary-1235633160
- Author: Ernesto Lechner
- Published: 2026-09-28T19:07:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mighty sparrow, calypso, trinidad, calypso monarch, slinger francisco, calypso music
## Mighty Sparrow Dies
Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed king of calypso music, died on Sunday at age 91.

> It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Trinidad and Tobago's Calypso icon, Slinger Francisco, known to the world as 'The Mighty Sparrow,'
## Daughter Announces Death
His daughter Karen Francisco confirmed he died after a brief illness.
## Calypso Icon
He was an institution in entertainment, admired for his singing, songwriting, and mentorship.
## Calypso Legacy
He won countless Calypso Monarch and Carnival Road March competitions, leaving a discography spanning calypso's evolution from the 1950s to 1980s.
## Early Life
Born Slinger Francisco on July 9, 1935, in Grenada, he moved to Trinidad at age one.
## Calypso Evolution
Calypso transformed from folk roots in the 1950s to jazz-infused splendor by the 1960s and funky soca by the 1980s.
## Key takeaway

Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed king of calypso music, died at 91 after a brief illness.