Sly Dunbar, Reggae Legend of Sly & Robbie, Dies Aged 73

Femi Ashekun/

Sly Dunbar, the prolific Jamaican drummer and producer best known as one half of the influential duo Sly & Robbie, has died at the age of 73, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the global music community.

Dunbar’s death was first reported by his wife, Thelma Dunbar, who told Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper that she found him unresponsive at their home early on Monday morning.

His agent and publicist later confirmed the news to the BBC.

An exact cause of death has not been disclosed, although he had reportedly been ill for some time.

Widely regarded as one of the most important drummers in the history of reggae, Dunbar played on classic recordings including Bob Marley’s Punky Reggae Party and Dave and Ansell Collins’ Double Barrel.

However, his greatest impact came through his long-running partnership with bassist, Robbie Shakespeare, with whom he formed the rhythm section and production powerhouse Sly & Robbie.

Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar in Kingston, Jamaica, he developed an early fascination with music after watching Lloyd Knibb of The Skatalites perform on television.

“I saw him playing and I thought, ‘I want to be a drummer’ because he’s the hardest worker in the band,” Dunbar recalled in a 1997 interview.

As a teenager, he met Shakespeare and together they became the backbone of The Revolutionaries, the in-house band at the legendary Channel One Studios.

Their sound helped define the so-called “rockers” rhythm, shifting reggae towards a heavier, more syncopated beat that departed from the melody-driven style associated with Bob Marley and The Wailers.

Throughout the 1970s, the duo worked extensively with leading reggae acts including Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and Barrington Levy, while touring the United States with Tosh.

In 1980, they founded Taxi Records, which later played a key role in developing artists such as Shaggy, Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, Skip Marley and Red Dragon.

Beyond reggae, Sly & Robbie became highly sought-after collaborators in pop and rock music.

They provided the rhythmic foundation for Grace Jones’ 1981 album Nightclubbing and went on to work with Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Joe Cocker, Marianne Faithfull and Sinéad O’Connor, among many others.

At home, they earned acclaim for modernising reggae through the use of electronic textures and studio experimentation.

In the 1990s, they helped popularise a melodic form of dancehall with Chaka Demus & Pliers, producing hits such as Tease Me and Murder She Wrote.

Shakespeare, who died in 2021, once estimated that the duo had contributed to more than 200,000 recordings.

That reputation was captured by producer Brian Eno, who famously remarked in 1979: “When you buy a reggae record, there’s a 90% chance the drummer is Sly Dunbar.”

Tributes have continued to pour in following news of his death.

British DJ David Rodigan described Dunbar as a “true icon” and “one of the greatest drummers of all time,” praising his discipline, innovation and enduring influence on modern music.

Dunbar is survived by his wife, Thelma.