Reggae icon Aston 'Family Man' Barrett dies aged 77

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Aston Barrett, bassist for the legendary reggae group Bob Marley and the Wailers, has died at the age of 77.

"Family Man", as he was called, was born in 1946 and raised in the Jamaican capital, Kingston.

In announcing the death, her family said Barrett had been through a "long medical battle" but gave no details.

He was a key figure in the growth of reggae. He played on almost every Wailers album as well as for Burning Spear, Peter Tosh and many other bands.

In a social media post on Saturday, Barrett's son, Aston Barrett Jr, said: "With the heaviest of hearts, we share the news of the death of our beloved Aston. "Family man" Barrett after a long medical battle. Poiré.

He joined Bob Marley's group in 1974.

His bass work is a key element of many of the Wailers' hits, including I Shot the Sheriff, Get Up Stand Up, Stir It Up, Jamming, No Woman, No Cry and Could You Be Love.

"Drums are the heartbeat, and bass is the spine" , Barrett once said. “If the bass isn't good, the music is going to have a backache, so it's going to be paralyzed.”