Aston Barrett, the Jamaican bassist known as “Family Man” who served as the rhythmic architect for reggae legends like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Burning Spear, and Augustus Pablo, has died at the age of 77.
Barrett’s death was announced on social media Saturday by his son Aston Barrett Jr. “With the heaviest of hearts, we share the news of the passing of our beloved Aston ‘Familyman’ Barrett after a long medical battle,” Barrett Jr. wrote. “This morning, the world lost not just an iconic musician and the backbone of...
Barrett’s death was announced on social media Saturday by his son Aston Barrett Jr. “With the heaviest of hearts, we share the news of the passing of our beloved Aston ‘Familyman’ Barrett after a long medical battle,” Barrett Jr. wrote. “This morning, the world lost not just an iconic musician and the backbone of...
- 2/3/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The late Charlie Watts once pointed out that for all of Keith Richards’ self-destructive behavior, the Rolling Stones guitarist has always had a “strong will to live.” But Richards himself isn’t quite sure how he made it this far: “We are all built in different ways,” he says, “and I think possibly that I’m also so stupid to put myself into situations where it’s almost live or die.… But look, we only got one life, might as well enjoy it.” In a new interview on our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast,...
- 3/22/2022
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
Tony Kanal first heard the names Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare when he was growing up in Southern California in the Eighties. “In my teens, when No Doubt started, we listened to a lot of reggae and ska music,” the bass player says. “And it was hard to have a conversation about reggae music without Sly and Robbie. Their names were synonymous with reggae music… All those quintessential reggae basslines, like ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ by Black Uhuru, were a huge influence. Later on, all those riddims they put together,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Simon Vozick-Levinson
- Rollingstone.com
There were great reggae bassists before him, and after, but more than any other instrumentalist, Robbie Shakespeare, in tandem with his drum partner and co-producer Sly Dunbar, defined the bass-centric approach of the genre’s modern era, from the roots-rocker sound of the Seventies to the digi-dub dancehall of the Eighties, Nineties, and beyond. His playing was so deeply grounded, its pulse felt biological, and so irresistible he became not just the go-to man for reggae musicians, but for anyone interested in seismic grooves, from Dylan and Mick Jagger to No Doubt and Simply Red.
- 12/9/2021
- by Will Hermes and Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Questlove praised Robbie Shakespeare for pushing the boundaries of reggae without sacrificing vision or integrity in a tribute to the bassist, who died Wednesday, Dec. 8.
The Roots drummer heralded Shakespeare and his longtime creative partner, drummer Sly Dunbar, writing, “You might have seen the name. You might not know the legacy by heart but believe you me their production riddem prowess was unparalleled.”
Questlove peeled off a handful of the “gazillion rhythm beds we have collectively made the epicenter of our joy,” which Sly and Robbie were behind. Their “Bam...
The Roots drummer heralded Shakespeare and his longtime creative partner, drummer Sly Dunbar, writing, “You might have seen the name. You might not know the legacy by heart but believe you me their production riddem prowess was unparalleled.”
Questlove peeled off a handful of the “gazillion rhythm beds we have collectively made the epicenter of our joy,” which Sly and Robbie were behind. Their “Bam...
- 12/9/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Robbie Shakespeare, the Grammy-winning Jamaican bassist and one-half of the highly influential producers Sly and Robbie who revolutionized reggae and dancehall music, has died. He was 68.
The Jamaica Gleaner reported that Shakespeare, who had been in poor health for some time, died in Florida where he had been recovering from recent kidney surgery.
“When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” tweeted Jamaica’s Prime Minister Robert Holness. “He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.”
In a career ...
The Jamaica Gleaner reported that Shakespeare, who had been in poor health for some time, died in Florida where he had been recovering from recent kidney surgery.
“When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” tweeted Jamaica’s Prime Minister Robert Holness. “He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.”
In a career ...
- 12/9/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Robbie Shakespeare, the Grammy-winning Jamaican bassist and one-half of the highly influential producers Sly and Robbie who revolutionized reggae and dancehall music, has died. He was 68.
The Jamaica Gleaner reported that Shakespeare, who had been in poor health for some time, died in Florida where he had been recovering from recent kidney surgery.
“When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” tweeted Jamaica’s Prime Minister Robert Holness. “He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.”
In a career ...
The Jamaica Gleaner reported that Shakespeare, who had been in poor health for some time, died in Florida where he had been recovering from recent kidney surgery.
“When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” tweeted Jamaica’s Prime Minister Robert Holness. “He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.”
In a career ...
- 12/9/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Robbie Shakespeare, whose influential work as a bassist and record producer saw him nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, has died at the age of 68. He died at a hospital in Florida, according to news reports, where he was recently undergoing surgery related to his kidneys.
The Jamaican artist was part of the duo Sly and Robbie with Sly Dunbar.
“When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” tweeted Jamaican prime minister Robert Holness. “He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.”
Sly and Robbie joined forces in the mid-1970s as a producing team. Their work first drew acclaim for the production on Mighty Diamonds’ 1976 album, Right Time.
They went on to work with artists such as the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sting, Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, U2 and more as a rhythm section and production team.
The Jamaican artist was part of the duo Sly and Robbie with Sly Dunbar.
“When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” tweeted Jamaican prime minister Robert Holness. “He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.”
Sly and Robbie joined forces in the mid-1970s as a producing team. Their work first drew acclaim for the production on Mighty Diamonds’ 1976 album, Right Time.
They went on to work with artists such as the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sting, Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, U2 and more as a rhythm section and production team.
- 12/9/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Robbie Shakespeare, the renowned reggae bassist who helped move the genre into new sonic territory and whose playing was heard on classics by Black Uhuru and Peter Tosh as well as albums by rock icons such as Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger, has died at age 68. His death was announced on Twitter by Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed, but The Jamaica Gleaner noted that the musician had recently been hospitalized for kidney damage.
As half of the...
As half of the...
- 12/8/2021
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
The Eighties are widely regarded as the low point of Bob Dylan’s entire career, a time when he struggled to find relevance in the MTV era and released a series of tacky, rudderless albums that were savaged by fans and critics. Even Dylan himself refuses to defend his output from the time. “[I was] pretty whitewashed and wasted out professionally,” he recalled in his 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One. “I’m in the bottomless pit of cultural oblivion. You name it. I can’t shake it.”
But the newest chapter of the bootleg series,...
But the newest chapter of the bootleg series,...
- 9/16/2021
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Bob Dylan is prepping a new seven-inch vinyl single featuring two previously unreleased recordings of “Blind Willie McTell.” The single will arrive on August 20th via Third Man Records and is available to preorder now.
“Blind Willie McTell” came out of the sessions for Dylan’s 1983 album, Infidels, although it didn’t make the final album cut and a version of the song wasn’t officially released until The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 arrived in 1991. The Bootleg Series version is a simple acoustic piano-guitar version that Dylan recorded with...
“Blind Willie McTell” came out of the sessions for Dylan’s 1983 album, Infidels, although it didn’t make the final album cut and a version of the song wasn’t officially released until The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 arrived in 1991. The Bootleg Series version is a simple acoustic piano-guitar version that Dylan recorded with...
- 8/2/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The next chapter of Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series will center around the music recorded in the aftermath of his Christian period in the early Eighties. The package includes studio outtakes from 1981’s Shot of Love, 1983’s Infidels, and 1985’s Empire Burlesque along with songs recorded during live rehearsals in 1980, his 1984 European stadium tour, and his 1984 appearance on Late Night With David Letterman.
Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985), set for release September 17th, will be available as a two-disc set and a deluxe package containing a...
Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985), set for release September 17th, will be available as a two-disc set and a deluxe package containing a...
- 7/21/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Edward “Bunny” Lee — the influential producer who both expanded reggae’s sound and helped proliferate the genre’s audience worldwide — has died at the age of 79.
Trojan Records, which licensed Lee’s Jamaican productions in the U.K., confirmed the producer’s death. While Lee’s exact cause of death is unknown, he battled health issues in recent years.
“Jamaican music giant, Bunny Lee, has very sadly passed away,” Trojan Records tweeted. “Bunny was massively influential in shaping Jamaican music, starting as a record plugger in the Sixties, then, as a pioneering producer,...
Trojan Records, which licensed Lee’s Jamaican productions in the U.K., confirmed the producer’s death. While Lee’s exact cause of death is unknown, he battled health issues in recent years.
“Jamaican music giant, Bunny Lee, has very sadly passed away,” Trojan Records tweeted. “Bunny was massively influential in shaping Jamaican music, starting as a record plugger in the Sixties, then, as a pioneering producer,...
- 10/7/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Robbie Shakespeare — reggae artist extraordinaire, prolific bassist, and in-demand producer alongside his longtime collaborator Sly Dunbar — admits he was “humbled” upon learning he made Rolling Stone’s recent list of the 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time.
“Number 17, that’s good,” Shakespeare says of his ranking, “compared to all the bass players in the world.” When asked where he’d put himself on the list, the Sly and Robbie hitmaker jokes, “Number two.”
For Shakespeare, great bass playing is all about “the style.” “Most bass players, like drummers, have a style,...
“Number 17, that’s good,” Shakespeare says of his ranking, “compared to all the bass players in the world.” When asked where he’d put himself on the list, the Sly and Robbie hitmaker jokes, “Number two.”
For Shakespeare, great bass playing is all about “the style.” “Most bass players, like drummers, have a style,...
- 7/21/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
One of the greatest rhythm sections to ever rub-a-dub on planet Earth, Sly and Robbie’s client roster has included Dylan, Madonna, Serge Gainsbourg, and No Doubt. But the team’s best jams are the most deeply rooted in the Jamaican music they helped invent — at the core of Peter Tosh’s band; with the Compass Point All-Stars; and on their own Taxi Records sessions, source of some of the reggae canon’s mightiest sides. Their ur-grooves justify from the get-go Red Gold Green & Blue, a set of blues, r...
- 7/12/2019
- by Will Hermes
- Rollingstone.com
In 2016, Zak Starkey — musician and son of Ringo Starr — and his Sshh bandmate Sharna “Sshh” Liguz teamed with Eddie Vedder and a slew of reggae legends, including Wailers drummer Carlton “Santa Davis,” to record a cover of Bob Marley’s “Get Up Stand Up.” The track made its way back to Jamaica, earning Starkey and Liguz an invitation to perform at the opening of the Peter Tosh Museum, in Kingston. Since then, the pair have returned regularly to the island, working closely with local musicians and concocting plans for a new reggae label,...
- 3/27/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
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