Two funerals for Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett
Legendary bassist Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett will have two funeral services to honour his life and memory. The first one will be held in Florida later this month.
“We will be doing a private one in Miami February 24th, then in Jamaica, we will be doing another on March 5th as his final resting place will be Jamaica,” Floyd Barrett, better known as John GQ, told Observer Online.
“We will have more details later once we finalise all the details.”
Floyd and his brother Aston Barrett Jr started the studio known as Fams House back in 2004.
Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett was the bass player and musical director for the Wailers — both with Bob Marley and for decades after the singer’s death in 1981. He also played for Burning Spear and Augustus Pablo.
He is known for his brilliant hypnotic rhythms and complex melodies that crafted the distinctive sound of the Wailers.
Barrett received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Bass Player Magazine in 2012 and was selected as the number-one bassist by the staff of Bass Player Magazine, in their ranking of “20 legendary players who shaped the sound of electric bass” in 2020.
In 2021, he was honoured with the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in the National Honours and Awards on Jamaica’s 59th Anniversary of Independence.
— Claude Mills
