Toots Hibbert, the front man for Toots and the Maytals, has died. The reggae star was 77 years old.
Toots Hibbert died at the age of 77. The front man of the band Toots and the Maytals had helped to make reggae known worldwide. In a statement on Twitter it says: "With a heavy heart we have to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert has passed away tonight." He fell asleep peacefully in a hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, surrounded by his family. Nothing is known about the cause of death so far, but the singer is said to have recently been brought to the clinic with symptoms similar to Covid-19.
Hibbert turned hits like "Pressure Drop" or "Funky Kingston" into reggae classics. Even the name of the genre is said to go back to him and the song "Do the Reggay" (1968). In Jamaica, the artist had 31 number one hits, according to the BBC. The Maytals were discovered in 1962 and were soon considered to be one of the most popular groups in Jamaica.