{"id":8347,"date":"2026-01-27T10:14:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/reggae-great-sly-dunbar-has-died-aged-73-153003\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T10:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:14:23","slug":"reggae-great-sly-dunbar-has-died-aged-73-153003","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/reggae-great-sly-dunbar-has-died-aged-73-153003\/","title":{"rendered":"Reggae great Sly Dunbar has died, aged 73"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pioneering reggae drummer Sly Dunbar \u2013 who along with bassist Robbie Shakespeare underpinned countless Jamaican hits, as well as albums by Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, Serge Gainsbourg and many more \u2013 has died, aged 73. He was found unresponsive by his wife Thelma on Monday morning (January 26), having been unwell for some time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pioneering reggae drummer Sly Dunbar \u2013 who along with bassist Robbie Shakespeare underpinned countless Jamaican hits, as well as albums by Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, Serge Gainsbourg and many more \u2013 has died, aged 73. He was found unresponsive by his wife Thelma on Monday morning (January 26), having been unwell for some time.<\/p>\n

Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar in Kingston in 1952, Sly\u2019s first appearance on record was on Dave And Ansell Collins\u2019 1970 single \u201cDouble Barrel\u201d, a No 1 hit in the UK. Dunbar was a member of various foundational Jamaican studio outfits \u2013 The Aggrovators, The Revolutionaries and The Upsetters \u2013 and worked with most of reggae\u2019s movers and shakers, from The Mighty Diamonds to Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru to Dennis Brown.<\/p>\n

In 1980, Dunbar and Shakespeare became the core of the Compass Point All-Stars, recording albums in Nassau with Grace Jones, Joe Cocker, Ian Dury and many others. They also played on Bob Dylan\u2019s Infidels and Empire Burlesque, and Mick Jagger\u2019s solo album She\u2019s The Boss.<\/p>\n

As Sly & Robbie, the pair issued a series of their own albums that fused reggae with electro, hip-hop and world music sounds. They continued to be courted by musicians and pop stars across the spectrum well into the 21st century. Prior to his death in 2021, Shakespeare estimated that the duo had contributed to over 200,000 recordings.<\/p>\n

Those paying tribute to Dunbar included Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and UB40\u2019s Ali Campbell.<\/p>\n

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Farewell, Sly Dunbar! Rest in peace!
Shine on Gal\u20261979 with Sly, Robbie and Mikey Chung!<\/p>\n

\"\ud83d\udcf7\" 1 and 2: J.Bouquet
\"\ud83d\udcf7\" 3: Adrian Boot pic.twitter.com\/SKiWCcWGfs<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Keith Richards (@officialKeef) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n