ENTERTAINMENT | When the Riddim Stopped: Jamaica Loses "Sly", the Drummer Who Defined Its Sound

The rhythmic architect of reggae's global conquest dies at 73, leaving a void no drum kit can fill

By Staff Writer | WiredJa | January 26, 2026

The hands that drove the heartbeat of reggae music fell silent this morning. Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar, one half of the most consequential rhythm section in Jamaican musical history, died at his Kingston home. He was 73.

His wife Thelma discovered him unresponsive around 7 a.m., a quiet end for a man whose drumming had thundered across generations and continents. "Yesterday was such a good day for him," she told The Gleaner, her voice breaking. "He had friends come over to visit him and we all had such a good time."

That final gathering proved a fitting coda for a man who spent his life in communion with musicians, from the studios of Kingston to sessions with Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, and The Rolling Stones.

A Nation Pays Tribute

Prime Minister Andrew Holness did not mince words in his tribute, declaring that Jamaica had lost "a titan of music." Speaking on social media, the Prime Minister characterized Dunbar as "an architect of sound," crediting him with integrating electronic elements into traditional reggae while keeping the music modern and globally relevant for decades. "His contribution to our cultural heritage is immeasurable," Holness stated. "His legacy lives on every time a drum kit is played or a reggae record spins."

Culture Minister Olivia "Babsy" Grange described Dunbar as "one of the greatest drummers ever," calling his passing "a great loss for reggae music." She emphasized the duo's staggering reach, noting they "produced and/or played on tracks for several international acts, including No Doubt, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Fugees, and Simply Red."

From the Opposition benches, Shadow Culture Minister Nekeisha Burchell captured the essence of Dunbar's artistry: "Sly Dunbar was rhythm, innovation, and excellence in motion. He represented the very best of Jamaican creativity—bold, original, and uncompromising in its quality." She added that his work "helped position Jamaica as a cultural superpower long before that term became fashionable."

The Riddim Twins Legacy

Dunbar's partnership with bassist Robbie Shakespeare, who died in December 2021, formed the most prolific rhythm section in recorded music history. As the legendary "Riddim Twins," they are credited with playing on an estimated 200,000 recordings—a figure so staggering that producer Brian Eno famously remarked in 1979: "When you buy a reggae record, there's a 90% chance the drummer is Sly Dunbar."

That ubiquity was no accident. Dunbar's innovative drumming, which seamlessly blended traditional Jamaican rhythms with rock, funk, and electronic elements, became the template for modern reggae and dancehall production. His signature one-drop patterns powered classics from Bob Marley's "Punky Reggae Party" to Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves" to the global smash "Murder She Wrote" with Chaka Demus & Pliers.

In 1980, Dunbar and Shakespeare co-founded Taxi Records, the label that would nurture generations of Jamaican talent including Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, and Shaggy. Their production work transcended genre boundaries—they were as comfortable backing Peter Tosh as they were driving Grace Jones's avant-garde club anthems or providing the rhythmic backbone for three Bob Dylan albums.

Honours and Immortality

Dunbar's contributions earned him thirteen Grammy nominations and two wins: the inaugural Best Reggae Recording award in 1985 for Black Uhuru's Anthem, and Best Reggae Album in 1999 for Sly & Robbie's Friends. The Jamaican Government recognized his cultural impact with the Order of Distinction, while the Institute of Jamaica awarded him the Musgrave Gold Medal in 2015. Just last year, the University of Minnesota bestowed upon him a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Yet for all the accolades, Dunbar remained rooted in the Kingston soil that nurtured his talent. Born in the capital on May 10, 1952, he began drumming at fifteen with The Yardbrooms before his first recording appearance on Dave and Ansell Collins's "Double Barrel"—a track that reached number one in the United Kingdom and announced Jamaica's rhythmic supremacy to the world.

As Rolling Stone magazine noted in tribute, Sly & Robbie were "undisputed masters of the art, bringing a nuanced, unhurried and rock-solid rhythmic approach" that defined an era.

With Dunbar's passing, the Riddim Twins are finally reunited. The drum that drove Jamaica's music to every corner of the globe has fallen silent. But in studios from Kingston to London to New York, in the digital files that carry his patterns into the future, Sly Dunbar's rhythm plays on—eternal, uncompromising, unmistakably Jamaican.

He is survived by his wife Thelma, daughter Natasha, and the countless musicians who learned that to play reggae properly, you first had to learn to play like Sly.

Editor's Note:

Robbie Shakespeare, the other half of Jamaica's internationally famous Riddim Twins, Sly and Robbie, left the music industry in mourning in 2021. The 68-year-old legendary bass player had been ailing from kidney-related complications, including a rejected organ. He died in Florida, where he had been living for a few years.

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