Sly Dunbar

Sly Dunbar was one of the most prolific and influential drummers of all time, in reggae or any other genre. As one-half of the Riddim Twins, Dunbar joined bassist Robbie Shakespeare to provide the rhythm section and/or production for recordings by reggae artists including Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, the Mighty Diamonds, and U-Roy and non-Jamaican performers including Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Ian Dury, KRS-One, and Queen Latifah. Sly & Robbie's own albums include 1987's groundbreaking electro-dub LP Rhythm Killers and Friends, which received a Grammy award as "Best Reggae Album" in 1999. On his own, Dunbar recorded three solo albums -- Simple Sly Man in 1978, Sly, Wicked and Slick in 1979, and Sly-Go-Ville in 1982. He remained active until his 2026 death, working with disparate artists including Gary Barlow, Gaudi, and Vladislav Delay.