Sly Dunbar, from duo Sly and Robbie, has died at age 73

Sly Dunbar, the celebrated reggae drummer and producer, has passed away at the age of 73.

As one half of the iconic production duo Sly and Robbie, the Jamaican musician was instrumental in creating global hits across multiple generations. His rhythmic contributions helped shape the sounds of both roots reggae and dancehall, and his impressive career included collaborations with international stars such as Grace Jones, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Sinead O’Connor.

Doctors pronounced him dead after his wife, Thelma, found him unresponsive on Monday morning, according to an interview she gave with the Jamaican newspaper, The Gleaner.

Alongside bassist Robbie Shakespeare, Dunbar formed the rhythm section for the Revolutionaries. This group became one of the foremost backing bands in Jamaican reggae. By the late 1970s, Dunbar and Shakespeare had earned enough to establish their own label, Taxi Records. He and Shakespeare partnered with Chaka Demus & Pliers in the early 90s, scoring hits with songs such as 'Tease Me' and 'Murder She Wrote'.

While consistently releasing albums as a duo, they also began attracting attention from non-Jamaican stars. This led to iconic collaborations, including playing on three Grace Jones albums (Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing, and Living My Life). He contributed to four albums by Serge Gainsbourg, as well as to two Bob Dylan albums: Infidels and Empire Burlesque. Dunbar's also contributed percussion to the Rolling Stones album Undercover and played drums on Mick Jagger's solo album, She's the Boss.

He also partnered with Sinead O’Connor on her reggae album Throw Down Your Arms. The album features cover versions of classic roots reggae songs, produced by Sly and Robbie. Notably, the album features a cover of Bob Marley's 'War,' a song O'Connor controversially performed on Saturday Night Live in 1992, during which she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II.

Tributes have poured in for Dunbar, including The Rolling Stone’s Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, who both shared photos of Dunbar on X.

Farewell, Sly Dunbar! Rest in peace!
Shine on Gal...1979 with Sly, Robbie and Mikey Chung!

📷 1 and 2: J.Bouquet
📷 3: Adrian Boot pic.twitter.com/SKiWCcWGfs

— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) January 26, 2026

He is survived by his wife, Thelma, his daughter, Natasha, and his sister, Norma.