Cola Boyy, Singer and Disability Activist, Dead at 34
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Singer Cola Boyy performs onstage during Weekend 1, Day 3 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 14, 2019 in Indio, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella)
Cola Boyy, a songwriter and pop performer known for collaborations with groups like The Avalanches and MGMT, has passed away. He was just 34.
The singer's, whose real name is Matthew Urango, record label, Record Makers, first announced news of his passing on Monday, March 18, telling fans that he "passed peacefully last Sunday."
"He was quite a soul, a man with no age, a childlike spirit with the musicality of an old legend," the label continued. "His lyrics, his melodies, the sound of his voice: every side of his music was unique and timeless..."
On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 19, his father shared more details about his son's death with TMZ, revealing that his twin brother found him unresponsive in his bed. Paramedics responded to the scene, but, unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done to revive him, and Urango was pronounced deceased.
The medical examiner investigating a cause of death, but his family suspects it was related to his myriad of health issues. Urango was born with a series of spinal issues including spina bifida, scoliosis, and kyphosis—none of which he let keep him from the stage—and utilized oxygen at home.
The singer also served as an advocate for disability rights, dubbing himself the "disabled disco innovator." In a previous interview with TMRW, the singer pointed out that "not a lot of artists are visibly disabled," calling out "society" for wanting anyone who was to "stay inside and to be timid and docile..."
"I want to be a good representative of this topic," he added. "We have our own experiences and medical differences but there’s something within the struggle that connects us that’s deep-rooted, we need to communicate so we can connect and become powerful and establish this solidarity."
