Reggae Icon Sly Dunbar Dies at 73

Legendary Jamaican drummer and producer Sly Dunbar, one half of the influential production duo Sly and Robbie, has died at the age of 73, leaving behind a towering musical legacy that shaped reggae, dub, pop and rock music for more than five decades. His death marks the end of an era for global popular music, in which his rhythms formed the backbone of thousands of recordings across genres and continents.

The news of Dunbar’s death was first confirmed by his wife, Thelma Dunbar, who told the Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner that she found him unconscious at their home early on Monday morning, around 7am. His spokesperson later confirmed the news. Although the precise cause of death has not yet been disclosed, his wife said he had been unwell for some time, though the seriousness of his condition had not been fully apparent. She recalled that the previous day had been joyful, spent laughing with friends and eating well, making his sudden passing all the more shocking.

Tributes quickly poured in from across the music world. British DJ and reggae historian David Rodigan described Dunbar as “a true icon” and “one of the greatest drummers of all time,” a sentiment widely echoed by musicians and producers who had worked alongside him.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sly Dunbar showed early signs of musical brilliance. As a child, he fashioned makeshift drum kits from tin cans, honing his sense of rhythm long before gaining access to professional instruments. In a 1997 interview, he credited seeing Lloyd Knibb of The Skatalites perform live as the moment that ignited his dream of becoming a drummer, admiring the physical and creative demands of the role.

As a teenager, Dunbar met bassist Robbie Shakespeare, a partnership that would become one of the most prolific and influential in modern music history. Together they joined the rhythm section of The Revolutionaries before forming the production duo Sly and Robbie. In 1980, they established Taxi Records, a label that helped launch and elevate the careers of numerous Jamaican artists, including Shaggy, Beenie Man, Red Dragon, Skip Marley and many others.

Beyond reggae, Dunbar’s drumming reached far into international music. He collaborated with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru and Jimmy Cliff, while also recording with global icons such as Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, Ian Dury and even The Rolling Stones. He played on Grace Jones’s acclaimed 1981 album Nightclubbing, widely regarded as one of the most influential records of its era.

Robbie Shakespeare once estimated that the duo had contributed to more than 200,000 recordings. Producer Brian Eno famously remarked that “if you buy a reggae record, there’s about a 90 per cent chance Sly Dunbar is the drummer.”

Sly Dunbar at a Glance

Sly Dunbar’s innovative rhythms, technical mastery and genre-defying creativity transformed reggae into a global language. His influence will continue to resonate wherever music is played, sampled or imagined.