Sly Dunbar dies: reggae pioneer aged 73

Sly Dunbar, the legendary drummer who helped shape the sound of reggae music as one half of the duo Sly and Robbie, has died. He was 73 years old.

Dunbar’s wife, Thelma, told The Gleaner that she found him unresponsive in his home on Monday, January 26. Dunbar is said to be suffering from an illness and receiving treatment both domestically and internationally.

“Yesterday was a very good day for him. He had friends over and we all had a great time,” she said. “I knew he was sick…but I didn’t know he was this sick.”

In a statement shared with TMZ, Dunbar’s family wrote: “His extraordinary talent, innovation and lasting contributions will never be forgotten.”

“Sly’s music, spirit and legacy touched people around the world, and we are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time,” the statement said.

Dunbar, a two-time Grammy winner and 13-time nominee, and Sly & Robbie bandmate Robbie Shakespeare (who passed away in 2021) performed on an estimated 200,000 recordings, with everyone from Mick Jagger and Bob Marley to Bob Dylan and No Doubt, Rolling Stone reports.

The two first made a name for themselves as the backing band for Jamaican reggae group The Revolutions, but later disbanded as a duo. In 1978 they toured together with the Rolling Stones and started their own music label, Taxi Records. They have recorded several albums together, most recently releasing Dubrising in 2014.

“I always say it was like magic,” Dunbar said of meeting bassist Shakespeare in 2008. “We became producers because radio was paying producers to make all these recordings and they were hits. I looked down and said to Robbie, ‘What’s our future? We don’t own ourselves on tape, the producers do.’ So Robbie said, ‘I think we should try to own our material, but we’re not going to stop doing sessions.’ We play every day. ” So I started writing songs. ”

Dunbar (real name Lowell Fillmore Dunbar, real name Kingston, Jamaica) appeared on Jagger’s solo album She’s the Boss, Dylan’s records Infidels and Empire Burlesque, and produced No Doubt’s “Underneath It All” and “Hey Baby.” He also co-wrote and performed on Omi’s 2012 song “Cheerleader.” The song was remixed a few years later and became a hit.

He said in 2008 that his mentor was Skatalites drummer Lloyd Knibbs, and that he was also a fan of Booker T. and the MGs drummers Al Jackson, Winston Grennan, Paul Douglas, and others.

“I respect all the drummers and learned a lot from them. I listened to them and developed my own style,” he said. “They played some things that I copied. Others I reproduced.”

Ali Campbell, lead singer and co-founder of British reggae band UB40, paid tribute to Dunbar on Facebook, writing, “Modern beats would not be what they are today without the influence of reggae and dancehall riddims that Sly single-handedly pioneered.”

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness also paid tribute to Dunbar’s musical contributions.

“He was a pioneer. He integrated electronic instruments into traditional reggae beats and kept our music modern and relevant for decades,” Holness wrote in a Facebook post. “Despite his tremendous international success and decorations, he remained a humble son of the soil, always ready to mentor the next generation.”