Aston Barrett, Bob Marley’s Bassist and Reggae Icon, Dies at 77

The world mourns the loss of Aston Barrett, a “LEGENDARY” bassist for Bob Marley and the Wailers, who passed away at 77.

His family revealed that he had a “long medical battle” without giving more details. His son Aston Jr. broke the news on social media.

He wrote: “With the heaviest of hearts, we share the news of the passing of our beloved Aston ‘Familyman’ Barrett after a long medical battle.”

"This morning, the world lost not just an iconic musician and the backbone of the Wailers but a remarkable human being whose legacy is as immense as his talent.

"Our family is asking for privacy during this challenging time, as words cannot express our profound loss."Barrett was born in 1946 and grew up in Kingston, where he pioneered reggae and dub music.

He crafted his first bass guitar from plywood, a curtain rod and an old ashtray.

He joined Bob Marley in 1974 and played in most of the Wailers albums, contributing to many of their greatest hits such as I Shot the Sheriff, Get Up Stand Up, Stir It Up, Jamming, No Woman, No Cry and Could You Be Loved.

He became the leader of Marley’s backing band and stayed with them until Marley’s death. He was one of the few surviving original members of the group.

Known as the rhythmic ‘Architect of Reggae’, Barrett also collaborated on classic albums by artists such as Burning Spear, Peter Tosh and many more.

In 2021, Jamaica honored Barrett with an Order of Distinction for his role as the musical “backbone” of the reggae genre.