Lowell "Sly" Dunbar (born May 10, 1952 in Kingston; died January 26, 2026) was a Jamaican drummer and music producer. He formed the duo Sly & Robbie with Robbie Shakespeare.

Dunbar began playing drums at a young age and was a member of several fairly well-known Jamaican reggae bands, such as the Upsetters and the Aggrovators, with whom he achieved some minor success.

Later, he met bassist Robbie Shakespeare, who already had studio experience, and together they released a few albums in Jamaica with Shakespeare and the Revolutionaires (some of which were later released in the US and Europe). Dunbar and Shakespeare then called themselves The Riddim Twins or Sly & Robbie. Later, they played in Word, Sound and Power, the band fronted by Peter Tosh. They recorded five albums and a number-one single, "(You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back" with Mick Jagger. From the mid-1970s onward, Sly & Robbie worked as dub mixers and later as producers.

After an extensive world tour, Sly & Robbie founded their own label, TAXI Productions, in 1978. They parted ways with Peter Tosh and joined Black Uhuru in the late 1970s, where Ducky Simpson, Puma Jones, and Michael Rose sang on the duo's music. Black Uhuru released several albums, with Junior Reid replacing Michael Rose on the last two (Brutal and Positive). However, the duo's work was never limited to just one band; they recorded three albums with Grace Jones, for example. This was followed by extensive collaborations with various musicians, including Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Herbie Hancock (Future Shock), Bill Laswell, and Carly Simon.

As early as the 1980s, new music technologies also changed the work of Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar. From the middle of the decade onward, they released several albums that combined dub elements with funk, hip-hop, and other styles. While Sly devoted himself almost exclusively to drum machines and production after The Summit in 1988, Robbie increasingly played keyboards in addition to electric bass. Following another successful single they produced in 1993 (Murder She Wrote by Chaka Demus & Pliers), they wrote compositions for artists such as Beenie Man and Luciano, as well as dancehall beats for DJ Combo.

They subsequently recorded further albums as Sly & Robbie, most recently Version Born in 2004.
In 2012, Dunbar wrote the song "Omi's Cheerleader." A remix by German DJ Felix Jaehn in late 2014 brought the song wider recognition, and the following year it became a global hit, reaching top positions in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to record awards, the single has sold over 8.4 million copies to date. In Germany alone, it has sold over one million copies, making it one of the best-selling singles in the country.

In 2012, Dunbar wrote the song "Omi's Cheerleader." In 2015, the rhythm section embarked on a tour with the Norwegian jazz trumpeter and his band, titled "Sly & Robbie Meet Nils Petter Molvaer."
In 2015, he and Shakespeare were awarded the Musgrave Medal in Gold by the Institute of Jamaica.

Rolling Stone ranked Dunbar 65th on its 2016 list of the 100 greatest drummers of all time.

Peter Tosh - Simple Sly Man

Black Uhuru - Brutal

Sly & Robbie - Rhythm Killers

 

Had a couple of sample CDs with Sly back in the day. Drumsplash etc. RIP

 

Rest in Peace Drum Master Sly...
Thank you for the teachings !

 

Word Sound n Power...play dem drums in Zion Sly..RasTafari!

 

On so many amazing records, what a legacy. RIP Sly.

 

Cool interview with both Sly and Robbie.

 

Such a great drummer and a fine musician who was responsible for so much great music.

RIP

 

What a Sad news... i really like his groove. i still use his samples A LOT..!!! for reggae, reggaeton, layering etc!
Descansa en Paz!

 

I love Sly and Robbie Shakespeare stuff. Robbie died in 2021.
Black Uhuru made me appreciate Reggae more. Sly and Robbie produced and played on my favourite reggae album of all time 'Anthem'.

Then there's this classic...

 

So so hurtful to know my idol has gone to his rest .. i was hoping to see him in concert @ "Summer jam" UK .. August 2026.
BUT NOW .Hes entered the big sleep..

Thankyou for the influence ..SLY & ROBBIE RE UNITE IN DEATH ..I love you guys so so much

 

Oh... Very, very sad. Too many records of Sly & Robbie in my collection. From Grace Jones and Ian Dury to effin Joe Cocker and Herbie Hancock and enough from their own personal work, they all sound great 'till today. Wtf should i expect when i'm closing 60 and these records have been with me for 40-45 years and on.
Rest in peace Legend.

 

saw Sly and Robbie with Judy Mowatt from the I Threes
like a good reggae show but then they totally kicked in on the Bob Marley stuff at the end
great show

 

He (and Robbie) played on so many great records it's insane.

One of my favourite stories is that they were recording their own record, then Bill Laswell went mental with the production and started adding this and that. At first they were cool with this, but then they just said "this isn't our record anymore, we don't want this in our name" yet they still played on it. How's that for work ethic? Great record though (Material - The Third Power)

Rest in peace, Riddim Twin.

 

One of the greatest. Huge influence. Rest in power bredda.

 

yeah i heard, rest in peace. though 70s dub reigns supreme, they have some of my favorite 80s dub