Aston “Household Man” Barrett, bassist for Bob Marley and the Wailers, has died aged 77.
The information was confirmed on Saturday by Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s minister for tradition, who wrote on X (previously Twitter): “I share with you my deep remorse on the passing of Aston Francis Barrett, popularly often called ‘Household Man’ or ‘Fams’ … He died on the College of Miami Hospital in Florida in america early this morning.”
Barrett was born in 1946 and grew up in Kingston, the place he would assist to put the foundations for reggae and dub. As a baby, he sang alongside to soul music on the radio earlier than switching over to the bass.
He constructed his first bass guitar from scratch utilizing plywood, a curtain rod and an outdated ashtray. In a 2007 interview with Bass Participant journal, he mentioned: “After I’m taking part in the bass, it’s like I’m singing. I compose a melodic line and see myself like I’m singing baritone.”
Alongside along with his brother Carlton, Barrett performed with teams together with Bob Marley & the Wailers, the Hippy Boys and Lee “Scratch” Perry’s The Upsetters. He was additionally a mentor to many Jamaican musicians together with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare of the reggae manufacturing duo Sly & Robbie.
After becoming a member of the Wailers within the Nineteen Seventies, Barrett grew to become bandleader of Marley’s backing band and co-producer of the group’s albums. He remained a member for the remainder of Marley’s life, contributing to the much-loved albums Burnin’ and Rebellion, amongst others.
However his legacy stretched a lot additional: he continued to tour with later iterations of the Wailers and, in 2015, he was named the twenty fifth biggest bassist of all time by NME readers. In 2021, he was honoured with the Order of Distinction (Commander class) within the Nationwide Honours and Awards on Jamaica’s 59th Anniversary of Independence.
In his 2007 Bass Participant function, he mentioned: “I’ve performed earlier than Bob, with Bob, and after Bob and alongside the way in which I create a complete new idea of bass taking part in. That’s simply my factor. That’s my future.”
Grange’s replace additionally expressed her assist for the household of the “pioneer of Jamaican music”. She mentioned: “As we commemorate Reggae Month 2024, I want to specific my honest condolences to his spouse, his youngsters, his family and to members of the native and worldwide reggae music fraternity. Might the angels welcome dwelling Aston “Household Man” Barrett to Mount Zion.”
In 2006, Barrett entered a authorized battle with Island Data, claiming £60m in unpaid royalties for his manufacturing and songwriting work on the albums, however his marketing campaign was unsuccessful. He retired from music in 2019.
The information of Barrett’s dying comes lower than two weeks earlier than the discharge of Bob Marley: One Love, the biopic of Marley during which Barrett will likely be performed by his son, Aston Barrett Jr.
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