Dolly Rathebe, the doyenne of Sophiatown and a legendary figure of South African music, died peacefully on September 17 after suffering a mild stroke. She had been ill for a while.

Apart from her wide-ranging music career, Dolly Rathebe appeared in films such as Mapantsula, Jim Come to J’burg and Magic Garden. She also appeared in the television productions The Line and Friends.

The former pin-up girl of the 1940’s and 1950’s had an enormous following in South Africa and she will be sorely missed.