On stage, the endlessly energetic Unkle Mehn could look into a bouncing crowd of thousands and seem to be singing to each person individually despite the rapid-fire chaos of a soca performance. Friends said Jeavon Sasso, who died Wednesday evening after a Monday night car accident, carried that same ability to captivate and uplift those around him in his private life, letting his capacity to love and be loved shine.

St. John Administrator Shakima Jones-Sprauve said she last saw Sasso Friday. The two parted in their traditional fashion.

“Every time we see each other we embrace each other and tell each other, ‘I love you, bad.’ And it hurt knowing that last Friday was the last time I would have seen him or have the opportunity to embrace him and tell him that I love him. And it’s something that we all need to be doing to each other every day. You see somebody along the way, you see a friend or family member, let them know that you love them,” Jones-Sprauve said.

“Sasso was full of energy. It was always a good vibe being around him,” she said. “His voice is for the gods, so to speak.”

Jones-Sprauve was especially excited by Sasso’s recent road march “Stomp.”

“That song gave me so much thrill that I had to call him when he first put a snippet of it on social media to let him know that this is the song,” she said. The two had been talking about collaborating outside the soca and calypso genre — maybe R&B and soft rock.

“I told him, people need to see how talented you are with that voice of yours by singing a different genre of music,” she said. “His voice alone give that command. You don’t have a choice but to turn around and see him. Even when he’s warming up and checking his mic. You don’t have a choice but to stop what you’re doing, turn around in the direction of that melodious voice, and just pay attention. It’s amazing what he could do with that voice of his.”

Offstage, away from the spotlight, Sasso expressed the same passion for life in intimate settings, unafraid to let his compassion and emotions show.

“People that doesn’t know him personally sees him as a version of a GOAT as a musician. But there’s another side of him. If you ever have the opportunity to meet it, you understand the passionate human that he was. Very caring, very affectionate, and very sentimental. It’s very rare to see a man cry and he doesn’t feel ashamed to feel those tears drop when he’s hurting or when he’s hurting for somebody else — especially when he was still grieving his mom.”

Merle Sasso died in October 2024.

Sasso’s enduring message, she said, was keeping the music of a harmonious community alive.

“Music is love. Music is life,” she said.

Schoolmates from Charlotte Amalie High School Class of 2000 were also shattered by Sasso’s death. But like Jones-Sprauve, they were able to express their love while he was still alive. At a 25th anniversary prom in July, the closely-knit class honored Sasso and his achievements, class president Denita Boschulte said.

“It was so well deserved and we were so proud to honor him and to give him his flowers while we could. We recognized that he was such an amazing, talented person in our community,” Boschulte said. “He grabbed the mic and started singing just like our other classmates that are also into music. It was such a great night, such an amazing night.”

An avid singer in school, no one was surprised Sasso took up music professionally after graduation, she said.

“He gave back so much of his time to the kids and to us. He would do anything for anybody, really,” Boschulte said. “He’s always just been family. With all the praise and the fame that he gets, he’s still down to earth.”

Class vice president Chevonne Richards agreed, saying no matter how much fame and adulation Sasso received, it never went to his head. He had time and energy for the small, personal things.

“Sasso was very relentless, very driven, obviously talented, and humble,” Richards said. “Even with all his accomplishments and the impact that he has made in the community — you know, the icon, the legend that he created for himself in the community — I don’t know that he ever recognized himself to be as great as he was.”

Fans described Sasso’s performances at Virgin Islands carnivals, festivals, and celebrations as essential. His July 1 Unkle Sasso show at St. John Celebration 2025, playing before his former band Jam Band, drew a massive, deeply devoted crowd, attendees said.

Fellow Virgin Islands performers flooded social media with tributes after news of Sasso’s death. Members of Cool Sessions Brass wrote that Sasso embodied connection, courage, inspiration, and love.

“He didn’t just play music, he moved people. His sound was electric, his spirit unforgettable,” St. John’s long-running calypso-soca band wrote on social media.

St. Thomas soca performer Big Shaw wrote that he was in disbelief after learning of Sasso’s death but heartened by the outpouring of love for the entertainer.

“I just wish he were alive to even catch a glimpse of the immense love he’s receiving through the impact of his music and presence on Virgin Islanders and beyond. That for sure would’ve make that man feel good,” Shaw wrote. “As an entertainer, you truly do this for the love of the music, culture, and supporters, but when you receive that energy back, it’s an absolute blessing to know that you create joy, laughter, and unforgettable memories in the lives of those you touch over the countless years.”

The Awesome Jame Band posted a goodbye to their former bandmate on social media early Thursday morning.

“It feels like just the other day we were all together on The Awesome Jam Band’s Boat Ride; laughing, vibing, and watching you do your thing on the mic as only you could. The energy, the joy, the laughter, you lit up every space you entered. Yesterday, we prayed for your healing, but the Creator chose instead to call you home to rest. Who are we to question the Creator’s will?”