Sly Dunbar Dies: Drummer Of Celebrated Reggae Rhythm Duo Sly & Robbie Was 73
By Greg Evans
Sly Dunbar, whose drumming with bassist Robbie Shakespeare made for an all-but-unrivaled reggae rhythm section utilized by such greats as Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger, has died. He was 73.
Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar on May 10, 1952, in Kingston, Jamaica, Dunbar began playing drums at a young age, joining his first band at 15 and, in 1972, becoming friends with bassist Shakespeare. Through early gigs with the band The Revolutionaries (also known as the Aggrovators) Sly & Robbie, as they became known, laid a foundation for the Jamaican reggae that would soon explode in worldwide popularity.