King Tubby

King Tubby basically invented dub music, reggae’s instrumental alternative universe. Born Osbourne Ruddock in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1941, Tubby derived his nickname from his mother’s maiden name, Tubman. He studied electronics and became an indispensable repairman in Kingston’s burgeoning sound-system scene before launching his own system, King Tubby’s Hometown Hi-Fi, in 1968. It was producer Bunny Lee who urged Tubby to create innovatively remixed B-sides of hit tracks by adding and subtracting instruments while making extravagant use of echo, reverb, phasing, and sound effects. He received his first credit for the God Sons’ “Merry Up” remix “Tubby’s at the Controls” in 1972. Lee funneled scores of remix projects Tubby’s way, the cream of which can be heard on his 1974 debut, Dub From the Roots. “King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown,” a spare and spooky collaboration with melodica master Augustus Pablo, was released the same year and became a classic of the genre. Tubby released notable album-length dub mixes for Lee “Scratch” Perry, Niney the Observer, and Yabby You, among many others. During the ’80s, Tubby moved into producing and, until his death in 1989, mentored next-generation talents including Prince Jammy and Scientist.