In 2020, Shakespeare was placed at 17 on Rolling Stone’s greatest bassists of all time list. Shakespeare had been nominated for 13 Grammys in his career and won twice, once in 1984 for best reggae recording for Anthem and then in 1998 for best reggae album for Friends. In the 2011 documentary Reggae Got Soul: The Story of Toots and the Maytals, they were described as “one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica”. The pair worked with artists such as Madonna, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones, Sting, Serge Gainsbourg and Britney Spears.
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They were also responsible for influential shifts in reggae music as it headed to digital, introducing the “Rockers” beat and later working with Chaka Demus & Pliers to create a novel sound that distinguished songs such as Bam Bam and Murder She Wrote. In the following decade, their status grew as they worked with artists such as Joe Cocker and Grace Jones. Their breakout work was on Mighty Diamonds’ 1976 album Right Time.
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The pair bonded over their varied taste in music but specifically their interest in reggae production. Sly and Robbie had come together in the mid-70s after Shakespeare had already carved out his own music career from a young age.
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“He will be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture.” “When it comes to reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare,” tweeted the Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness. The Jamaican artist was part of the duo Sly and Robbie with Sly Dunbar.Īccording to the Jamaica Gleaner, Shakespeare had recently undergone surgery related to his kidneys. Robbie Shakespeare, acclaimed bassist and record producer, has died at the age of 68.