Reggae legend Sly Dunbar, who played with everyone from Bob Marley to The Rolling Stones, has died at the age of 73.
One of the genre's most revered drummers, he played on tracks such as Bob Marley's Punky Reggae Party and Dave and Ansell Collins' classic, Double Barrel.
However, he was better known as half of the production team Sly & Robbie - who produced groundbreaking hits for everyone from Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru, to non-reggae acts like Bob Dylan, Grace Jones and Ian Dury.
Dunbar's death was first reported by his wife, Thelma, who told the Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner she had found him unresponsive on Monday morning. The musician's agent and publicist confirmed the news to the BBC.
Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar in Kingston, Jamaica, he started out playing on tin cans, inspired by watching drummer Lloyd Knibbs and the Skatalites on television.
In his teens, Dunbar met bassist Robbie Shakespeare and they formed the rhythm section of the Revolutionaries, regular session musicians at the famed Channel One recording studio.
They spent the 1970s working with major reggae acts like Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, and Barrington Levy while touring the US with Peter Tosh. Their sound emphasized the beat and introduced the pioneering 'rockers' rhythm, which brought new energy to reggae music.
In 1980, they founded Taxi Records, nurturing a new wave of Jamaican artists such as Shaggy and Beenie Man.
Dunbar also contributed to Grace Jones's hit album Nightclubbing, opening doors to collaborations with rock and pop icons like Bob Dylan and Madonna.
Over the years, Dunbar and Shakespeare were credited with over 200,000 recordings, displaying their dominant presence in reggae.
An exact cause of death was not released, but Dunbar had been reportedly ill for some time. His wife expressed shock at his sudden passing, having enjoyed a good day just prior to his death.
Tributes poured in, with British DJ David Rodigan calling Dunbar a 'true icon' who was 'one of the greatest drummers of all time.'
