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Toots Hibbert, the legendary leader of the reggae group Maytals, died at the age of 77.
The death of the singer, who was behind hits like Pressure Drop, Monkey Man and 54-46 That’s My Number as the frontman of Toots and the Maytals, was announced in a statement issued by his family.
While no cause of death was given, he had reportedly been tested COVID-19 in recent weeks.
“It is with the deepest of our 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,” his family said.
Toots Hibbert from Toots and the Maytals performs in 2018
“The family and their management team would like to thank the medical and professional teams for their care and diligence, and ask that they respect their privacy during their time of grief.”
The statement added that he was survived by his wife of 39 years, Miss D, and “their seven of eight children.”
Widely recognized for the power of his soulful voice, which was compared by some to that of Otis Redding, Hibbert and his group were considered pioneers of reggae and its growing popularity around the world.
The band’s 1968 single Do the Reggay is believed to be the first song to use the word “reggae.”
Born in 1942 in Clarendon, Jamaica, Hibbert was the youngest of seven children and had continued to perform regularly until his recent illness.
He was rushed to the hospital just days after his and the Maytals’ first album in more than a decade, Got to Be Tough, was released.
Speaking to Rolling Stone about the album, he said: “I am very proud of what I have done and the love that I have given.
“But it’s getting harder and harder to give the love that people need, and they need it now more than ever. There’s no time to waste.”
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