Robbie Shakespeare, the two-time Grammy Award-winning bass player, record producer, and one half of the iconic rhythm section Sly & Robbie, died Wednesday (Dec. 8) at the age of 68.
The late musician is remembered as one of the all-time greats on the bass guitar, and for shaping the sounds of reggae and dancehall music, across a career that earned him 13 Grammy nominations, snagging wins in 1984 and 1985.
Jamaica’s Culture Minister Olivia Grange remarked that Shakespeare was among the country’s “greatest musicians.”
I am in shock and sorrow after just receiving the news that my friend and brother, the legendary basist Robbie Shakespeare has died.
Robbie and Sly Dunbar, the drummer, as Sly and Robbie, have been among Jamaica’s greatest musicians. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/l8p9gCcKOV
— Hon.Olivia Grange (@Babsy_grange) December 8, 2021
“[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 artistes locally and internationally,” Grange comments in a social post. “Robbie’s loss will be severely felt by the industry at home and abroad.”
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid tribute to the “legendary” artist for playing a “significant role” in recording and producing albums for various reggae artists.
“When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” Holness notes. “He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.”
(1/3) My condolences to the family, friends and fans of Jamaican Reggae musician and record producer, Robbie Shakespeare of the Sly and Robbie fame. pic.twitter.com/Q1C1FZBQ4G
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) December 8, 2021
Shakespeare had a gift for working with others, from Madonna to Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Grace Jones and many others, and his talents on a four-string were incomparable. When Shakespeare played, other musicians watched and learned.
In 2018, fellow bass player Sting, frontman of The Police, proudly tweeted of how Shakespeare had borrowed his bass for recording sessions with Shaggy, a moment he described as “an honour.”
An honour to lend the legendary Robbie Shakespeare my bass to record with Shaggy in the studio today 📷 @MKCherryBoom pic.twitter.com/HaZEWrYdY0
— Sting (@OfficialSting) January 20, 2018
Indeed, Shakespeare came in at No. 17 in Rolling Stone’s feature on The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time list, published in July 2020.
Born into a musical family in Jamaica’s capital Kingston in 1953, Shakespeare learned his craft under the mentorship of Aston “Family Man” Barrett, of The Wailers and The Upsetters. In the mid-‘70s, he joined forces with Sly Dunbar for Sly & Robbie, the innovative — and in-demand — rhythm section and production duo that laid down the groundwork for reggae and dub.
Shakespeare died in Florida where he had recently been in hospital for kidney surgery, the Jamaica Gleaner reports.
