Grammy award-winning drummer Sly Dunbar died at 73.
Dunbar was one-half of the production team, Sly & Robbie.
The family released a statement confirming his death.
Sly Dunbar, Legendary Reggae Drummer, Passes Away At 73
Grammy award-winning drummer Sly Dunbar died at 73. Dunbar was one-half of the production team, Sly & Robbie.
Summary
Sly Dunbar, a renowned reggae drummer, passed away on Monday (January 26) at age 73. The two-time Grammy Award-winning drummer played with legends, including Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and others. Dunbar was one-half of the production team, Sly & Robbie — known for producing chartbusters for Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, Dylan, Grace Jones and Ian Dury.
Sly Dunbar death
Sly Dunbar's death was first confirmed by his wife, Thelma, to the Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner. She found him unresponsive on Monday morning.
Several Jamaican newspapers reported that Dunbar died in Kingston. His daughter Natasha released a statement to the media.
“As one half of Sly & Robbie, Sly helped shape the sound of reggae and Jamaican music for generations. 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 love and support during this difficult time,” read the family statement.
Tributes for Sly Dunbar
“Words cannot describe how heartbroken I am to hear of the passing of my friend and legend,” singer Ali Campbell of UB40 mourned Dundar's demise on Facebook. “Modern day beats simply wouldn’t be what they are without the influence of reggae and dancehall riddims that Sly single-handedly pioneered.”
Rolling Stone magazine, in its tribute, wrote, “Sly & Robbie were undisputed masters of the art, bringing a nuanced, unhurried and rock-solid rhythmic approach.” Robbie Shakespeare died in 2021.
About Sly Dunbar and his work
Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar in 1952 in Kingston, Jamaica, he wanted to be a drummer after watching Lloyd Knibbs, whom he considered his idol. At age 15, he started playing for a group called the Yardbrooms.
His debut recording session was on The Upsetters 1969 track Night Doctor.
In his teenage years, Dunbar met bassist Robbie Shakespeare. Both formed their own label, Taxi Records. Known as “The Riddim Twins”, they played on reggae classics by Black Uhuru, Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh.
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Dunbar also played with the Revolutionaries, and on Junior Murvin’s Police and Thieves, Maxi Priest’s Easy to Love, Dave and Ansell Collins’ Double Barrel and Marley’s Punky Reggae Party.
Sly & Robbie played on three of Grace Jones’ albums — Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing and Living My Life and four albums of Serge Gainsbourg and three by Dylan.
They also worked on No Doubt’s singles Hey Baby and Underneath It All. Both shaped modern reggae for decades.
Dunbar was nominated 13 times for the Grammy Awards and won twice. The first one was for Black Uhuru’s Anthem, which received the inaugural Grammy for best reggae recording in 1985, and the second was when Sly & Robbie’s Friends won best reggae album in 1999.
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