Derek Serpell-Morris, known as DJ Derek and “Britain’s oldest DJ,” is believed to be dead after remains were found in a wooded area outside of Bristol.
The police are reported to strongly believe the human remains are of those of 73-year-old Serpell-Morris, who has been missing since July 2015 after last seen at a pub in Bristol. He was allegedly sighted at a Waterloo station in London this past December.
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Under the moniker DJ Derek, the former accountant began playing records in his mid-30s and built a legendary career over the course of 40 years playing clubs, tours and even appearing at Glatstonbury. He was known for playing genres such as rocksteady, reggae, soul, ska and dancehall, up until retiring in 2013, and also appeared in a Dizzee Rascal‘s video. His missing person’s report sparked a search campaign from fans on social media.
Please retweet and get this round social media again it’s been 5 months now, #DJDerek dj derek pic.twitter.com/oeHQq2dOtI
— Find DJ Derek (@findDJDerek) December 15, 2015
Trending on Billboard
“As soon as I heard the news last night I was convinced it was him,” said his great-niece Jennifer Griffiths to The Guardian. “In a way it would be closure for us if this was Derek but at the same time it would be awful; it would be the worst-case scenario. He used to get the bus to Cribbs Causeway all the time and we always felt that he could have ended up around that area.”
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The cause of death is unknown and there is no official identification yet.
(h/t: The Guardian)