Reggae legend Sly Dunbar, who played with everyone from Bob Marley to The Rolling Stones, has died at the age of 73. One of the genre's most revered drummers, he played on tracks such as Bob Marley's Punky Reggae Party and Dave and Ansell Collins' classic, Double Barrel. However, he was better known as half of the production team Sly & Robbie, who produced groundbreaking hits for everyone from Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru to non-reggae acts like Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, and Ian Dury. Dunbar's death was first reported by his wife, Thelma, who told the Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner that she had found him unresponsive on Monday morning. The musician's agent and publicist confirmed the news to the BBC.
Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar in Kingston, Jamaica, he started out playing on tin cans after watching Lloyd Knibbs and the Skatalites on television. Dunbar met bassist Robbie Shakespeare as a teen, forming the rhythm section of the Revolutionaries and became regular session musicians at the renowned Channel One studio. Their sound emphasized a heavier beat, contributing to the 'rockers' rhythm that transformed reggae music.
In the 1970s, they worked with major reggae acts like Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown while touring the US with Peter Tosh. They founded Taxi Records in 1980, nurturing a new generation of Jamaican artists and integrating more electronic sounds into reggae. The duo gained acclaim for their work on Grace Jones's hit album Nightclubbing in 1981, leading to collaborations with prominent figures in rock and pop.
Dunbar's contributions are vast; at one point, he and Shakespeare participated in over 200,000 recordings. His wife, Thelma, found him unresponsive on the morning of January 26, recounting that he had enjoyed a good day prior and had friends over to visit. An exact cause of death was not given, though reports indicated he had been ill. Tributes have flowed in, with British DJ David Rodigan calling Dunbar a 'true icon' and 'one of the greatest drummers of all time.'
Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar in Kingston, Jamaica, he started out playing on tin cans after watching Lloyd Knibbs and the Skatalites on television. Dunbar met bassist Robbie Shakespeare as a teen, forming the rhythm section of the Revolutionaries and became regular session musicians at the renowned Channel One studio. Their sound emphasized a heavier beat, contributing to the 'rockers' rhythm that transformed reggae music.
In the 1970s, they worked with major reggae acts like Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown while touring the US with Peter Tosh. They founded Taxi Records in 1980, nurturing a new generation of Jamaican artists and integrating more electronic sounds into reggae. The duo gained acclaim for their work on Grace Jones's hit album Nightclubbing in 1981, leading to collaborations with prominent figures in rock and pop.
Dunbar's contributions are vast; at one point, he and Shakespeare participated in over 200,000 recordings. His wife, Thelma, found him unresponsive on the morning of January 26, recounting that he had enjoyed a good day prior and had friends over to visit. An exact cause of death was not given, though reports indicated he had been ill. Tributes have flowed in, with British DJ David Rodigan calling Dunbar a 'true icon' and 'one of the greatest drummers of all time.'
