Legendary bass player Robbie Shakespeare was on Monday (February 7) memorialised during a thanksgiving service during which Olivia Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport, declared the world of reggae music will never be the same without him.

Grange was giving the remembrance at the funeral for Shakespeare, one half of the duo Sly and Robbie, which was held at the Webster Memorial United Church in St Andrew.

According to Grange, she said fans and musicians at home and abroad will miss having Robbie Shakespeare’s bass “thumping out those warm melodic lines to keep them marveled, swinging, and swaying”.

She said: “Rest assured, however, Robbie is leaving behind a legacy of cultural richness, musical inventiveness, and human generosity that will live on in perpetuity.

“As minister of culture, I’m very much in touch with musicians, and many others, who for various reasons, stay in contact with me. However, few artists and musicians have been as thoughtful as my dear friend, Robbie Shakespeare.

“And this friendship, low keyed as it has been, had existed since the 1970s when he was with Peter Tosh’s band Word
Sound and Power, until the day he transitioned. So, he’s still in my heart and will always be.

“Over those years, I’ve witnessed his growth as a musician and as an individual.

“We all know how respected Robbie has been as a bassist and producer internationally, but not only did the quality of his musicianship place him in that esteemed echelon; as a Jamaican, he also flew the nation’s flag high because of his respectable conduct and alluring personality.

“As his wife Cat said, ‘Robbie was a loving husband, excellent provider, dedicated family man, and to so many, an incredibly steady friend’.

“Robbie contributed significantly to our national identity. But he was not born into circumstances where that was the standard expectation; he achieved those meaningful qualities because he focused on his musical development and personal growth, which have inspired many contemporary musicians.

“Robbie has had his ups and downs in life but for me, Robbie will always be a model representation of our country and our people’s best qualities; and he will remain a credit to our nation.

“That is why, as a cultural custodian and in my capacity as minister of culture, I’ve always considered Robbie Shakespeare a genuine Ambassador for Jamaica, musically and otherwise.”

Shakespeare’s music and business partner, Sly Dunbar, led a musical tribute called The Taxi Gang and was joined by several others paying tribute in word and song.

Among them were singers, instrumentalists, producers and managers including Shaggy, Dean Fraser, Richie Stephens, Taurus Riley, Pam Hall, Chevelle Franklyn, Nadine Sutherland, Dimario McDowell, Copeland Forbes and Guillaume Bougard.