\u2018Sly\u2019 Dunbar, reggae drummer, on tour with Peter Tosh at Top Rank in Cardiff, Wales, on June 20, 1979. Photo<\/a> by Tim Duncan via Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, used under a CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a> license.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lowell \u201cSly\u201d Dunbar, an extraordinarily innovative drummer and music producer and one <\/a>of the renowned \u201cRiddim Twins<\/a>\u201d of reggae, died<\/a> at home on the morning of January 26, at age 73. His cause of death was not disclosed, but he had been ailing for some time. Still, his passing was unexpected \u2014 especially coming just one week after the death of another reggae icon, Stephen \u201cCat\u201d Coore<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dunbar\u2019s lifelong partner, Thelma, <\/span>was distraught and shared <\/a>that Dunbar had enjoyed a relaxing Sunday: \u201cYesterday was such a good day for him.<\/span>\u00a0He had friends come over to visit him and we all had such a good time. He ate well yesterday\u2026sometimes he\u2019s not into food. I knew he was sick\u2026but I didn\u2019t know that he was this sick.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamaica\u2019s Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid tribute to Dunbar and his remarkable legacy alongside bass player Robbie Shakespeare, who died <\/a>in December, 2021. The two were known simply as \u201cSly and Robbie\u201d or the Riddim Twins<\/a>:<\/p>\n I am deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary Lowell \u201cSly\u201d Dunbar. Jamaica, and the entire world, has lost a titan of music.<\/p>\n Sly was an architect of sound. Alongside Robbie Shakespeare, he established a foundation that defined the era of Reggae and Dancehall. From the\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/iMVtlghsvQ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Culture Minister Olivia \u201cBabsy\u201d Grange shared on X:<\/p>\n Grange: Sly Dunbar passing a great loss<\/p>\n Minister Grange said Dunbar was \u201cone of the greatest drummers ever.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/xJhFaxnSK5<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hon. Olivia \u201cBabsy\u201d Grange (@Babsy_grange) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Nekeisha Burchell, culture spokesperson for Jamaica\u2019s opposition party, observed<\/a>, \u201cSly Dunbar was rhythm, innovation, and excellence in motion. He represented the very best of Jamaican creativity \u2014\u00a0bold, original, and uncompromising in its quality. His contribution to our music industry helped position Jamaica as a cultural superpower long before the term became fashionable.\u201d<\/p>\n Lowell Fillmore \u201cSly\u201d Dunbar was born on May 10, 1952, in Jamaica’s capital, Kingston. He began playing at age 15 in a band called The Yardbrooms. By 18, he did his first recording on drums with the vocal duo Dave and Ansel Collins, on their hit record \u201cDouble Barrel.\u201d He then joined a band called <\/a>Skin, Flesh and Bones<\/a> with Ansel Collins and bass player Lloyd Parks, and went on to play drums with The Revolutionaries<\/a>, the house band at the well-known Channel One Studios<\/a>, with Robbie Shakespeare (whom he met in 1972) and a host of other talented musicians.<\/p>\n During this period, dub music<\/a> \u2014 experimental, using various electronic techniques and innovative effects \u2014 was all the rage, but Dunbar began to develop his own \u201crockers\u201d style<\/a>, featuring a more aggressive rhythm than \u201croots reggae,\u201d similar to rock music. The Revolutionaries also performed as a backing band for several major reggae artists of the 1970s, including Gregory Isaacs<\/a> and The Mighty Diamonds<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sly and Robbie first officially teamed up in Word, Sound and Power, the backing band for former Wailer Peter Tosh<\/a>, in 1975. The following year, the band<\/a> toured with Tosh in the United States and from 1978 to 1979 in Europe, having also played at Bob Marley\u2019s 1978 One Love Peace Concert<\/a> in Kingston. However, the duo left the band in 1981 to tour with Black Uhuru<\/a>, who were signed with Island Records. In this very successful band, Sly and Robbie were \u2014\u00a0as always \u2014\u00a0enormously influential, complementing each other with a sharp, driving drum sound and heavy bass line.<\/p>\n The pair were always seeking new horizons and fresh musical collaborations. In 1980, they formed their own record label, Taxi Records<\/a>, ensuring their own creative and financial control. Under this banner, they produced and performed on a string of hits for Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru, Ini Kamoze<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n Over the years, Sly and Robbie performed with an astonishing variety of musicians, including collaborations with Bob Dylan<\/a> (on two of his albums), their countrywoman Grace Jones<\/a> (on three of her albums), and the Rolling Stones. They were hugely in demand as a rhythm section across almost every genre, always exploring new musical spheres. In this way, they helped pioneer technological innovations in reggae music, helping it progress towards dancehall and new sounds. Their productions for the punk band No Doubt, for example, resulted in<\/a> more hit records.<\/p>\n According to one musical website<\/a>, \u201cSly and Robbie may well be the most prolific recording artists ever. One estimate is that they have played on or produced some 200,000 songs, considering that some of their riddims such as \u2018Revolution\u2019<\/a> have been used on over 100 songs.\u201d<\/p>\n One fan attempted to list some of the duo\u2019s collaborations:<\/p>\n In case you didn\u2019t know: To name a few<\/p>\n \u2014 Scott Levenson (@levenson_scott) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Dunbar\u2019s nickname was said to have been inspired by the 1970s funk and soul musician Sly Stone<\/a>, whose music he enjoyed. He listed some of his musical influences in a 2008 interview<\/a>: \u201cMy mentor was the drummer for The Skatalites, Lloyd Knibb. And I used to listen a lot to the drummer for Booker T. & the M.G.s, Al Jackson Jr., and a lot of Philadelphia. And there are other drummers in Jamaica, like Santa and Carly from The Wailers Band, Winston Bennett, Paul Douglas, Mikey Boo. I respect all these drummers and have learnt a lot from them. From them, I listened and created my own style. They played some things I copied, other things I recreated.\u201d<\/p>\n Music journalist Hopewell Chin\u2019ono paid tribute on X:<\/p>\n You will remember that last week I did a post about the most influential reggae rhythm section musicians. I talked about Carlton Barrett, who played drums for Bob Marley, and his brother, Aston Barrett, who played bass. I also talked about Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare of Sly\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/hhIhTEb3aF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hopewell Chin\u2019ono (@daddyhope) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n He went on to post footage from a memorable concert with Black Uhuru:<\/p>\n This is a special concert that took place in Germany in 1981. Black Uhuru were backed by Sly Dunbar, who died today, on drums, and Robbie Shakespeare on bass. The Black Uhuru members on this night were Michael Rose, Puma Jones, and Duckie Simpson.<\/p>\n Sly plays the drums like a\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/eXEsdOjdQt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hopewell Chin\u2019ono (@daddyhope) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Another fan posted footage from a concert with Irish singer Sinead O\u2019Connor:<\/p>\n Sinead O\u2019Connor live with Sly & Robbie in October 2005. Broadcast on Irish TV. Length: 49:50 #RIPSlyDunbar<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/Dc6JQHAxB1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sean Walters (@sean_write) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n British reggae band UB40 \u2014 in particular, singer Ali Campbell \u2014 was devastated by the news:<\/p>\n Words cannot describe how heartbroken I am to hear of the passing of my friend and legend, Sly Dunbar \ud83d\ude22 pic.twitter.com\/tCQvPbxyo3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ALI CAMPBELL (@UB40) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Jamaican broadcast journalist Cliff Hughes commented, \u201cTime marches on [\u2026] We have lost another great musician\u201d:<\/p>\n Iconic dummer Sly Dunbar has died. Our condolences to his family, friends and fans.#NNN<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/tEBqFe4Qbb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nationwide90FM (@NationwideRadio) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Meanwhile, Jamaican cultural commentator Sonjah Stanley shared on X:<\/p>\n Rest in perfect peace #SlyDunbar<\/a>. You join #RobbieShakespeare<\/a> and all the musical greats to make even more timeless music. Your journey has been amazingly productive doing what you love. Walk good! \ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f#Jamaica<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Culture Professor (@SonjahStanley) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n On X, BlackHistoryStudies posted a classic photograph of the duo:<\/p>\n Jamaican reggae duo Sly and Robbie, circa 1981. They are drummer Lowell Dunbar (aka Sly) and bassist Robert Shakespeare. (Photo by David Montgomery\/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com\/ghZmP4fBtr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 BlackHistoryStudies (@BlkHistStudies) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Yet another fan mused:<\/p>\n Sly & Robbie. \u2014 \ud835\udcdc\ud835\udcf2\ud835\udcfc\ud835\udcfc \ud835\udce2\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd2\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcf7\ud835\udced\ud835\udd02\u00ae\ud83c\udf6c|Queen Majesty\ud83d\udc78\ud83c\udfff (@MissSocaCandy) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Throughout his life, Dunbar received numerous honours. Along with Shakespeare, he was awarded Jamaica\u2019s Order of Distinction; in 2015, he also received the Musgrave Gold Medal from the Institute of Jamaica. In 2025, he accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota. Dunbar received an impressive 13 Grammy nominations and won two \u2014\u00a0for Black Uhuru\u2019s \u201cAnthem\u201d in 1985, and for Sly & Robbie\u2019s \u201cFriends\u201d in 1999.<\/p>\n In summing up Dunbar\u2019s unique contribution to music \u2014 to at least three reggae genres, and more \u2014\u00a0one fan noted:<\/p>\n The absolute best. It’s unprecedented what he did over the course of his career, to have left such a massive mark on three distinct styles \u2014 roots, dub and dancehall. Decade after decade, he just kept innovating, the well never dried up. https:\/\/t.co\/Xd1zue4gUM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Evan Rytlewski (@Evanryt) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:SlyDunbar1979.png\")
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\n\u2022Black Uhuru
\n\u2022Grace Jones
\n\u2022Bob Dylan
\n\u2022Serge Gainsbourg
\n\u2022Serge Gainsbourg
\n\u2022Herbie Hancock
\n\u2022Jimmy Cliff
\n\u2022Peter Tosh
\n\u2022Bob Marley & The Wailers
\n\u2022Ini Kamoze
\n\u2022The Rolling Stones<\/p>\n\n
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\nFor me were true architects of Reggae’s child: Dancehall and its creative instrumental dub sounds.
\nSly on the drums, Robbie on the Bass Guitar.
\nR.I.P. Sly Dunbar. You’ve reunited with your music friend in heaven Robbie Shakespeare.\ud83d\udc90 pic.twitter.com\/WMj29JJ9vV<\/a><\/p>\n\n