Remembering Sly Dunbar: The Revolutionary Drummer Who Shaped Reggae and Beyond

The world of music mourns the loss of Sly Dunbar, the incredibly influential Jamaican drummer who, along with Robbie Shakespeare, formed the legendary reggae rhythm section and production duo Sly & Robbie. According to DancehallMag, Dunbar passed away this morning after reportedly battling health issues for the past decade. He was 73.

Lowell Fillmore Dunbar's journey began in Kingston, where he started drumming in local groups as a teenager. His first recorded appearance came at 18, playing on Dave and Ansel Collins' 1970 single "Double Barrel." The song became a global hit, even cracking the US top 40 and topping the UK pop chart.

Two years later, Dunbar met bassist Robbie Shakespeare while playing in the Revolutionaries, the house band at Kingston's Channel One Studios. The two would eventually leave the studio to form Taxi Records, their own production company. Together, Sly & Robbie played on iconic records from reggae legends like Peter Tosh, the Mighty Diamonds, Culture, and Gregory Isaacs. Dunbar also released solo albums, starting with 1978's Simply Slyman.

In the early '80s, Sly & Robbie embraced a more digital production style, foreshadowing the rise of dancehall. Their influence expanded beyond reggae when Island Records founder Chris Blackwell enlisted them as the core of the Compass Point All-Stars, the house band at his Compass Point Studios in Nassau. As part of the All-Stars, Sly & Robbie collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Bob Dylan, Herbie Hancock, Serge Gainsbourg, and the Rolling Stones.

Capitalizing on their status as sought-after sidemen, Sly & Robbie released their own records, beginning with the 1981 compilation Sly & Robbie Present Taxi. Their most commercially successful album was likely the 1987 dance-funk LP Rhythm Killers. The single "Boops (Here To Go)" reached #12 in the UK, and their 1989 LP Friends won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album.

Recognizing the potential of dancehall in the '90s, Sly & Robbie co-wrote and co-produced Chaka Demus & Pliers' seminal 1992 single "Murder She Wrote." They collaborated with virtually every major dancehall artist and continued to work with international stars, co-producing No Doubt's dancehall-infused 2001 hits "Hey Baby" and "Underneath It All." Dunbar also contributed to two reggae songs that reached #1 in the US: Maxi Priest's "Close To You" and Omi's "Cheerleader." Robbie Shakespeare passed away in 2021, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy.