Strictly Roots aired a two-part, four-hour tribute to Aston “Family Man” Barrett, the legendary bassist and founding member of Bob Marley’s Wailers, who passed away Feb. 3 at the age of 77.
Here’s archives for Part 1 and Part 2.
In addition to his work with Marley, Barrett was also part of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s in-house backing band as well as a member of the The Upsetters and The Aggrovators.
Barrett’s legacy shines bright as a prime example of how a humble musician’s mastery and message shaped and changed the music world. There is no doubt that “Family Man’s” technique and sound will continue to influence generations of musicians to come and listeners in the future.
Summing up the importance of the bass, Barrett once said: “The drum, it is the heartbeat, and the bass, it is the backbone,” He added,”If the bass is not right, the music is gonna have a bad back, so it would be crippled.”
Barrett joined the Wailers band in 1974. He was also known for collaborating with other international reggae acts like Burning Spear and Peter Tosh.
He was considered a reggae music ambassador and one of the most crucial bassists to help cultivate acceptance, growth and popularity during the subsequent explosion of reggae music on the international music scene in the 1970s with Marley serving as the primary catalyst.
Almost all of the Wailer’s albums have Barrett involved and nearly everyone of Marley’s most celebrated tracks include his killer bass lines, including “Could This Be Love”, “Jammin’”, “Lively Up Yourself”, “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Three Little Birds”.