Jamaican bassist, Aston Barrett, popularly known as “Family Man” who served as the rhythmic architect for reggae legends like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Burning Spear, and Augustus Pablo, has died at the age of 77.
Barrett’s death was announced on social media today by his son Aston Barrett Jr. He noted that his father, passed away after a long medical battle.
One of Jamaica’s most renowned, prolific and influential studio musicians, Barrett, along with his younger brother and drummer Carlton, worked as the rhythm section for the near-entirety of Marley’s tenure as frontman of the Wailers, playing bass on a string of classic albums spanning from 1970’s Soul Rebels to the group’s 1983 posthumous LP Confrontation.
Nearly every now-Legendary song by Marley and the Wailers featured Barrett’s bass work: “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” “Stir It Up,” “Jamming,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Three Little Birds,” “Could You Be Love,” “Is This Love,” and dozens more.
