Sly Dunbar, a two-time Grammy Award-winning reggae drummer and producer from Jamaica who was one half of the duo of Sly and Robbie, died on Monday. He was 73.
Dunbar’s wife, Thelma, confirmed his death to The Gleaner, a newspaper in Jamaica.
“About 7 o’clock this morning I went to wake him up and he wasn’t responding,” she told the publication. “I called the doctor and that was the news.”
An exact cause of death was not provided, Rolling Stone reported.
Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare formed the duo Sly and Robbie and played on reggae tracks by Black Uhuru, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, according to The Associated Press. Their work would be recognized by Grace Jones, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.
Sly Dunbar, the legendary Jamaican drummer who helped steer reggae‘s modern evolution while providing the backbeat to countless recordings, has died at age 73. https://t.co/xTqhtEN3rB pic.twitter.com/FkSJKd1EdF
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) January 26, 2026
The duo played on three of Jones’ albums — “Warm Leatherette,” “Nightclubbing” and “Living My Life.” They also appeared on four albums by Serge Gainsbourg and three by Dylan.
Lowell Fillmore Dunbar was born May 10, 1952, in Kingston, Jamaica, Rolling Stone reported. He was 15 when he joined his first band and recorded a song.
He joined the Yardbrooms and initially recorded with Lee “Scratch” Perry, according to the magazine. In 1969, he played on the album “Double Barrel” by Dave and Ansell Collins.
The song went to No. 1 on the charts in the United Kingdom.
Dunbar met Shakespeare at a nightclub and was impressed with his drumming ability. He recommended Dunbar for a recording session and they meshed as a team, Rolling Stone reported.
“The first time we played together I think it was magic,” Dunbar said in a 2009 interview. “We locked into that groove immediately. I listen to him and he listens to me. We try to keep it simple.”
The duo toured with the Rolling Stones in 1978 and in the late 1970s formed their own label, Taxi Records, according to The Guardian.
Very sad to hear that the legendary drummer and producer Sly Dunbar has passed away aged 73.
— UB40 (@UB40OFFICIAL) January 26, 2026
Best known as one half of the iconic drum and bass and production duo Sly and Robbie, they worked with many famous reggae artists and had their own successful label taxi records. pic.twitter.com/USCbbcTyh9
Shakespeare died in 2021.
The duo also worked with Shabba Ranks, Simply Red, Cutty Ranks, and Beenie Man, Rolling Stone reported. They helped produce albums by No Doubt, Sinéad O’Connor and Marianne Faithful.
Sly and Robbie won a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best Reggae Album for their work, “Friends.” They also won a Grammy for Best Reggae Recording with “Anthem.”
Dunbar was nominated for 13 Grammy Awards during his career.
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