Aston Barrett
Aston Francis Barrett, CD (22 November 1946 – 3 February 2024), often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, was a Jamaican musician and Rastafarian. He was best known as the bass-guitar bandleader of Bob Marley and The Wailers, as well as co-producer of the albums, and the man in charge of the overall song arrangements.
Early life
Aston Francis Barrett was born on 22 November 1946 in Kingston, Jamaica. He was the fourth of five children, and first son, of Wilfred and Violet Barrett.
Barrett sang along to soul music as a child, then learned the bass, building his first bass guitar from scratch. As young men, Barrett and his younger brother Carlton earned a meager income as welders while doing session work on the side.
Career
Along with his brother Carlton on drums, Barrett went on to play with Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Hippy Boys and Lee Perry's The Upsetters.
Mentorship
Barrett was the mentor and teacher of Robbie Shakespeare of the duo Sly & Robbie.
Equipment
Barrett played a Fender Jazz Bass and used Acoustic 370 and Ampeg SVT bass amplifiers.
Island Records dispute
In 2006 Barrett filed a lawsuit against Island Records, the Wailers' label, seeking...
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Stories about Aston Barrett from the JamaicansMusic archive, oldest first · 2024
2024
MusicAston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, Bassist and Backbone of the Wailers, Dies at 77
The Kingston-born bassist whose lines anchor ‘Stir It Up,’ ‘No Woman, No Cry,’ ‘Jamming’ and ‘Could You Be Loved’ died on February 3, 2024 after what his family called a long medical battle. From the Upsetters to four decades leading the Wailers, Family Man defined how reggae bass is played.
Culture‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Opens Worldwide on Valentine’s Day
Paramount’s biopic, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch, opens in the United States and the UK on February 14, 2024, three weeks after its world premiere at the Carib 5 in Kingston. Sevana, Naomi Cowan, Alexx A-Game and Aston Barrett Jr are among the Jamaican musicians in the cast.
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