Aston "Family Man" Barrett

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For his son, see Aston Barrett Jr.
Aston Barrett
CD
Barrett in 2011
Barrett in 2011
Background information
Birth nameAston Francis Barrett
Also known asFamily Man
Born(1946-11-22)22 November 1946
Kingston, Jamaica
Died3 February 2024(2024-02-03) (aged 77)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
GenresReggae
Occupation(s)
  • Songwriter
  • musician
  • arranger
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Bass guitar
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • percussions
Years active1962–2019

Aston Francis Barrett, CD (22 November 1946 – 3 February 2024), often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, was a Jamaican musician and Rastafarian.[1][2] He was best known as the bandleader of Bob Marley's backing band, as well as co-producer of the albums, and the man in charge of the overall song arrangements.[3]

Early life[edit]

Aston Francis Barrett was born on 22 November 1946 in Kingston, Jamaica.[4] He was the fourth of five children.[5]

Barrett sang along to soul music as a child, then learned the bass, building his first bass guitar from scratch.[6] As young men, Barrett and his younger brother Carlton earned a meager income as welders while doing session work on the side.[7]

Career[edit]

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.[8]

Mentorship[edit]

Barrett was the mentor and teacher of Robbie Shakespeare of the duo Sly & Robbie.[9]

Equipment[edit]

Barrett played a Fender Jazz Bass and used Acoustic 370 and Ampeg SVT bass amplifiers.[10][11]

Island Records dispute[edit]

In 2006 Barrett filed a lawsuit against Island Records, the Wailers' label, seeking £60 million in unpaid royalties allegedly due him and his now deceased brother. The lawsuit was dismissed.[12] The arguments by Island-Universal and the Marley family was that Barrett surrendered his rights to any further royalties in a 1994 settlement in exchange for several hundred thousand dollars. The judge agreed. As a result he faced about £2 million in legal costs for the trial, forcing him to sell two homes in Jamaica.[13]

Personal life and death[edit]

Nickname[edit]

Barrett's "Family Man" nickname came about before he had any children of his own. Barrett foresaw his role as a band leader and started to call himself "Family Man". He subsequently fathered 41 children: 23 daughters and 18 sons. He also claimed to have 23 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.[14]

Death[edit]

Barrett died of heart failure after a series of strokes in Miami, Florida on 3 February 2024, at the age of 77.[15][16][17]

Awards and recognition[edit]

  • 2012: Lifetime Achievement award from Bass Player Magazine[18]
  • 2020: Selected as number one by the staff of Bass Player Magazine, in their ranking of "20 legendary players who shaped the sound of electric bass"[19]
  • 2021: Invested into the Order of Jamaica[20]

Discography (selected)[edit]

Compilations[edit]

  • Familyman in Dub [197X][21]

As producer[edit]

  • Aston Barrett – Familyman in Dub [197X][21]
  • Horace Andy & Winston Jarrett & Wailers – The Kingston Rock [1974][22]
  • Various Artists – Cobra Style [197X][21]
  • Various Artists – Juvenile Delinquent [1981][5]

As engineer[edit]

As musician[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lockdown Check-In With Aston "Family Man" Barrett: Aston "Family Man" Barrett". Bass Magazine. May 2020. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Aston "Family Man" Barrett". Discogs.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  3. ^ Steckles, Garry (June 2006). "Family's fortunes: Aston "Family Man" Barrett". Caribbean Beat. No. 79. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  4. ^ Kaloi, Stephanie (4 February 2024). "Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, Bob Marley & the Wailers Bassist, Dies at 77". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Katz, David (4 February 2024). "Aston 'Family Man' Barrett obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  6. ^ Bugel, Safi (3 February 2024). "Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, bassist with Bob Marley and the Wailers, dies aged 77". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  7. ^ White, Timothy (2 May 2006). Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley. Henry Holt and Company. p. 233. ISBN 9780805080865. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  8. ^ Campbell, Howard (20 April 2012). "Aston 'Familyman' Barrett: Rockstone Wailer". The Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  9. ^ Taylor, Angus (26 June 2012). "Interview: Robbie Shakespeare". United Reggae. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  10. ^ Murphy, Bill (6 May 2023). "An interview with Aston "Family Man" Barrett". Bass Player. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  11. ^ Johnson, Kevin (26 June 2014). "Legend: An Interview with Aston "Family Man" Barrett". No Treble. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Marley bassist loses royalty bid". BBC News. 15 May 2006. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  13. ^ Lewis, Paul (16 May 2006). "Wailer with 52 children waits in vain for Marley's millions". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  14. ^ Youngs, Ian (25 September 2013). "Keeping Bob Marley's Legend alive". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  15. ^ Chen, Isabell (3 February 2024). "Reggae Musician Aston "Family Man" Barrett Has Died At Age 77". WMV. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, Bassist and Rhythmic Backbone of Bob Marley & The Wailers, Dead at 77". Rolling Stone. 3 February 2024. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Risen, Clay (7 February 2024). "Aston Barrett, 77, Bass-Playing Force With Bob Marley and Wailers, Dies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  18. ^ Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (26 October 2012). "Bass Player honour for 'Family Man'". The Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  19. ^ "The iconic bassists who developed the sound of low-end as we know it". BassPlayer. 1 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Honours in order Ernest Ranglin, Aston Barrett, Lt Stitchie, The Mighty Diamonds to receive national awards". Jamaica Gleaner. 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  21. ^ a b c d T, Mr. (13 April 2018). "Aston "Family Man" Barrett & The Wailers Band – Soul Constitution: Instrumentals & Dubs 1971–1982". Reggae Vibes. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  22. ^ Magni, Erik (15 July 2016). "Horace Andy and Winston Jarrett – The Kingston Rock". United Reggae. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Mills, Claude (21 September 2022). "Family row deepens over health of Wailers bassist 'Family Man'". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  24. ^ Sinclair, David (13 April 2023). "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Catch A Fire". UDiscoverMusic. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aston Barrett.
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