The bass player was half of the band Sly and Robbie, and he worked with such reggae greats including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Gregory Isaacs.
Robbie Shakespeare, the legendary bass player and one half of the band Sly and Robbie, has died at the age of 68. Shakespeare’s friend, manager and producer Guillaume Bougard confirmed the musician’s death in a statement to CNN on Thursday. Bougard said Shakespeare passed away in Miami on Wednesday due to complications following kidney and liver transplants a year ago. “We kept praying for a miracle, but it was not enough,” Bougard said. “This is very tough.” Bougard described his “friend and mentor” as an “absolute musical wizard.” Shakespeare was one half of reggae and dub duo Sly and Robbie, which he formed with drummer Sly Dunbar. Born Robert Warren Dale Shakespeare in East Kingston, Jamaica, in 1953, Shakespeare was a prolific bassist who worked with reggae greats including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Gregory Isaacs, Reuters reports. He also played alongside some of the world’s greatest rock and pop stars, among them The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Grace Jones. Shakespeare’s home country is mourning his passing.
