THE life and work of renowned bass player Robbie Shakespeare was celebrated during a thanksgiving service at Webster Memorial United Church in St Andrew on Monday.

Abiding by COVID-19 guidelines, the celebration saw singers and players of instruments paying tribute to a musician whose work is part of the soundtrack of Jamaican popular music.

Speaker after speaker shared anecdotes from their interactions with Shakespeare highlighting his jovial, fun-loving side, to the serious, musical genius.

Shaggy choked up as he spoke of his late friend and colleague. He shared stories of being called to Shakespeare’s house for cooked meals and baked items, including his famous bread pudding. The Grammy winner also noted that he was a genius at melodies and contributed the vocal melody to a number of the sings on which he played.

In his video tribute, British lover’s rock artiste Bitty McLean listed Shakespeare among Jamaica’s finest musicians. Cedella Marley called him a bass virtuoso who contributed iconic moments to Jamaica’s musical history.

Veteran singer Leroy “Artist” Brown, who knew Shakespeare from their early days in east Kingston, shared that he played bass on all but one of the over 100 songs that he (Brown) has recorded.

Shakespeare’s business manager Guillaume Bougard reflected on the man he called mentor, big brother, and friend.

“He was the personification of practice makes perfect. He would play the bass till his fingers bled. He played so hard that some of his fingerprints were almost erased. But aside from being an extremely talented artiste, he was a great human being who possessed a generosity of spirit, intelligence and cool,” said Bougard in his video tribute.

Shakespeare, who died on December 8 at age 68 after battling complications due to kidney disease, is best known as half of the “Rhythm Twins” alongside drummer Sly Dunbar. Their collaboration spanned nearly 50 years.

He played on some of reggae’s seminal songs, including Concrete Jungle (The Wailers), Marcus Garvey (Burning Spear), Buckingham Palace (Peter Tosh), General Penitentiary (Black Uhuru), and Revolution (Dennis Brown).

A grief-stricken Dunbar asked his daughter, Natasha, to deliver his tribute to his musical brother.

“I asked my father three questions. First: What didn’t most people know about Robbie? ‘He was just a caring friend. I remember going on my first tour of Africa and when he came with a case of crackers and cheese and gave to me because he didn’t know what the food situation would be like over there’. Question number two: What do you instantly think about when you hear Robbie playing? ‘I have never seen anyone play this way. It’s like when he’s playing, he is in Heaven. He was so talented it’s like he was caressing the bass, he would fight the bass, he would punch the bass, he would box the bass, he would do anything to create that unique sound. If anyone needs to know just listen to Black Uhuru’s Shine Eye Gyal, you will see what I am talking about’. Question three: What will you miss most about him? ‘His laughter and jokes. We were always looking out for each other, both musically and personally’.”

Entertainment and Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange also paid tribute to Shakespeare, recalling personal interactions and sharing her sense of loss at his passing.

“Without Robbie Shakespeare, the world of reggae music will not be the same. Fans and musicians at home and abroad will miss having his bass pumping out those warm, melodic lines to keep them singing and keep them swaying. For me, his bass was my heartbeat. But rest assured, however, that Robbie is leaving behind a legacy of cultural richness, musical inventiveness, and human generosity that will live on in perpetuity,” she said.

The service also saw musical tributes from Nadine Sutherland, Richie Stephens, Pam Hall, Dimario McDowell, Tarrus Riley, Dean Fraser, and the Taxi Gang.