Aston Barrett, the bassist of the legendary Wailers, has died at the age of 77 in Miami, Florida. 'Family man', as he was known for the number of children, was the rhythmic engine that accompanied Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer in the records and concerts that made reggae famous worldwide.
He was born on November 22, 1946, and grew up in the Jamaican capital of Kingston. Announcing the death, his family said that Barrett had faced a 'long medical battle', but did not provide details. Fame, however, had come earlier, as a member of the Upsetters, the backing band of reggae pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry. In 1974 he joined Bob Marley's band. His bass work is a fundamental feature of many Wailers hits, including 'I shot the sheriff', 'Get up stand up', 'Stir it up', 'Jamming', 'No woman, no cry' and 'Could you be love'.
'The drums are the heartbeat and the bass is the backbone', he used to say: 'If the bass is not right, the music will have a bad back, so it will be paralyzed'. After the death of Bob Marley, from cancer at 36 in 1981, the Wailers continued to perform, with numerous lineup changes. In 2013 Barrett told the BBC he had 23 daughters and 18 sons: 'I am a family man. I have equipped myself with 41 children'.