LEGENDARY MUSICIAN Toots Hibbert has died. Hibbert was the respected and influential Jamaican ska and reggae singer and founder of the band the Maytals,. He was 77. The cause of death is as yet unclear though he had been recently tested for Covid-19.

A statement from his family read: “It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel ‘Toots’ Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.

“The family and his management team would like to thank the medical teams and professionals for their care and diligence, and ask that you respect their privacy during their time of grief.”

Perform

Born in 1942 in Clarendon, Jamaica, Hibbert was the youngest of seven children and had continued to perform regularly up until his recent illness.

The family and his management team would like to thank the medical teams and professionals for their care and diligence.

Hibbert and his group were considered pioneers of reggae and its growth in popularity across the world. He and his band would score their first international hit with 54-46 Was My Number.

Reggae classics

Hibbert made other songs like Pressure Drop, Monkey Man, and Funky Kingston into all-time reggae classic.s

In 1972, Hibbert starred in The Harder They Come alongside Jimmy Cliff, a film which saw the Maytals become globally recognised. 

The hugely respected Hibbert is survived by his wife of 39 years, Mrs. D, and his seven of eight children.