Robbie Shakespeare, an influential reggae artist who formed one half of the duo Sly and Robbie, has died at 68.
The prolific bassist and music producer died in Florida after recently undergoing kidney surgery, according to multiple reports that emerged Wednesday. Jamaica's Culture Minister Olivia Grange described Shakespeare as one of the country's great musicians.
"[Sly and Robbie] took bass playing and drumming to the highest level as they made music for themselves as a group, and for many other artists locally and internationally," she said in a statement, according to the BBC.
BBC Radio 1Xtra reggae music presenter David Rodigan also paid tribute to Shakespeare on Twitter.
"The bass is everything in Reggae music and Robbie Shakespeare played his bass guitar like nobody else; he made the beat drop, speaker boxes shook and we rocked," he wrote in a tweet. "His passing is a tragic loss; his contribution to the genre is immeasurable. RIP Robbie Shakespeare."
Born in Jamaica's capital, Kingston, in 1953, Shakespeare first learned to play the bass after meeting Aston Barrett of The Wailers in his backyard. Barrett helped him hone his skills, paving the way for a successful music career that spanned decades and included collaborations with artists including Madonna, Bob Dylan, No Doubt, Peter Tosh, the Rolling Stones, and Grace Jones.
Shakespeare teamed up with drummer Sly Dunbar in the mid-1970s to form Sly and Robbie. Together they contributed towards defining reggae as a genre. Additionally, they helped create the catchy sounds heard in "Murder She Wrote" and "Bam Bam," and also produced music for movie soundtracks including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Poetic Justice."
In total, Shakespeare was nominated for 13 Grammy awards. He ended up winning two — one for best reggae recording for "Anthem" in 1984, and one for best reggae album for "Friends" in 1998. Rolling Stone magazine last year placed him at No. 17 on its list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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