How did Sly and Robbie meet? Prolific Jamaican band’s history explored as Sly Dunbar passes away

The reggae legend and iconic drummer, Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar, commonly known as Sly Dunbar, passed away at 73 on January 26, 2026, as per The Independent. A member of the prominent reggae duo Sly and Robbie, Sly, as mentioned, played the drums, while Robbie Shakespeare was the bassist. Robbie died at 68 in December 2021.

Born in May 1952 in Kingston, Jamaica, Sly Dunbar was considered one of the greatest and most influential drummers of all time. Dunbar, who has worked and collaborated with other legends such as the late Bob Marley and Bob Dylan, was the recipient of two Grammy Awards, according to WCNC.

One of Sly and Robbie's best collaborations was with the British reggae band UB40. The Jamaican duo and the Birmingham, England-based band collaborated on several musical projects since the '90s. UB40's Alistair Campbell took to Facebook and honored Sly in a post, sharing how heartbroken he was to know about Dunbar's demise.

As per The Independent, the news of Sly Dunbar's unfortunate death was shared by his wife, Thelma, who informed The Jamaica Gleaner:

"About seven o'clock this morning I went to wake him up and he wasn't responding, I called the doctor and that was the news."

She added:

"Yesterday was such a good day for him. He had his friends come over to visit him and we all had such a good time. He ate well yesterday .. sometimes he's not into food. I knew he was sick... but I didn't know that he was this sick."

In a 1997 interview with The Independent, Dunbar talked about how he first met Robbie Shakespeare. It was music that brought the two legendary artists together. Sly Dunbar, during the interview, said:

"The first time I saw Robbie playing bass I asked, 'Who's that?' He just seemed so relaxed. We got talking, and we would just stand and talk about music for hours. We were both obsessed with music. Then I was offered some free time in the studio and I suggested to Robbie that we should start playing together. He said that was a great idea."

The Jamaican reggae duo, Sly and Robbie, was formed in the mid '70s, after both of them became well-established music artists.

Sly Dunbar talked about his bond and friendship with Robbie Shakespeare

During his 1997 interview with The Independent, Dunbar talked about their bond and his friendship with Robbie. Sly Dunbar said:

"As well as being my colleague, Robbie is my closest friend. We have a very hamonious friendship. It feels like a bond. You adore it and thank God that it happened. It's even more than a marriage. We've never quarreled. We just relax together. There's no ego."

He further added:

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"Robbie is the aggressive one; I'm the quiet one. Sometimes when people meet Robbie they're shy of him, even a little afraid, and they don't want to talk to him. But he gets aggressive, I can calm him down. I talk to him and say it doesn't make sense to be angry. He nearly always listens to me."

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