The man who gave us some of the most amazing songs like Monkey Man, Pressure Drop, and Do The Reggay, Toots Hibbert, died on September 11, 2020, at the age of 77.
Toots was born as Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert, and he introduced the world to an entirely new genre of music, which he very famously named reggae. The frontman of Toots & the Maytals was in a medically-induced coma in Kingston and his family was awaiting results of a COVID-19 test. The real cause of his death is still unclear.
The news of his death was broken by the reggae star's family on the social media accounts of the band.
Hibbert, an influential Jamaican ska and reggae singer, was a five-time Grammy nominee, and had recently performed during Jamaica's Emancipation and Independence celebrations in August.
The first time Hibbert used the term "reggae" was when he performed Do the Reggay with his band, the Maytals. Some say that the term was an accidental coinage, where Hibbert meant to say "streggae" (a slang term used for promiscuous women).
Hibbert and Bob Marley were close friends back in the day, and had performed a few numbers in a number of countries. The son of the latter, Ziggy Marley, wrote about Hibbert's death in a tweet, saying that they had talked a few weeks ago.
While the classic rock star didn't gain the fame that Marley did, he did attain immense popularity in Jamaica, gaining the adoration of fellow musicians and critics. His work helped set the fundamentals of reggae.
Born in May Pen, 30 miles away from Jamaica's capital, Hibbert was an ex-boxer, songwriter, showman, and multi-instrumentalist. He spent hours singing in church before he caught a break performing his own music. Two of Hibbert's children, Junior and Leba, have followed the path of their father to become reggae performers.
Hibbert was a beloved musician whose concerts used to end up with some of the audience members joining him on stage and dancing to his songs. Just as his friend Marley used to preach peace and righteousness, he, too, in some of his songs (Pressure Drop, Bam Bam, and Revolution), talked about justice.
The reggae legend has performed with some of the world's greatest musicians, including John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards. His death has shaken many people, and not only in the music industry. Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holmes, also posted a picture standing next to Hibbert, sending his wishes to the late star.
Hibbert made a huge impact on his community and will be dearly missed. His pure and powerful voice has carried reggae to the world and will continue to do so for generations to come. Not only will he be remembered for mixing R&B and gospel to create the never-to-be-forgotten genre of music, but also for becoming the cornerstone of Jamaican culture with Marley.
Hibbert is survived by his wife of 39 years, Doreen Hibbert, and his seven of eight children.