Died On This Date (May 18, 1999) Augustus Pablo / Reggae Great
themusicsover Augustus Pablo (Born Horace Swaby)
June 21, 1953 – May 18, 1999
Augustus Pablo was a popular reggae musician and producer who was unique in that his instrument of choice was the melodica, or “blow-organ,” which was up until the late ’60s, primarily used to teach music to school children. Pablo began making records in 1971, with one of his earliest, “East Of The River Nile,” being a minor hit. By the end of the decade, he released numerous hits and collaborated with the likes of Bob Marley, Horace Andy, King Tubby, and Hugh Mundell. Throughout the last two decades of his life, Pablo recorded less, but produced more hits by the likes of Junior Delgado. He also continued to be a popular concert draw around the world. Augustus Pablo was 44 years old when he passed away on May 18, 1999. He died as the result of a collapsed lung brought on by a nerve disorder he had suffered from for quite some time.
What You Should Own
King Tubby’s path to music success was a bit unconventional in that he was not originally a musician, singer, songwriter, or producer, but a skilled Jamaican radio repairman. As sound systems and recording equipment began to grow in popularity throughout Jamaica during the ’50s, and ’60s, so did the demand for Tubby’s skill to fix equipment was continually exposed to bad elements of the island. He soon opened his own repair shop where he put together some of the island’s best sound systems. He soon became skilled at creating sound effects like reverb and echo and was eventually working at the island’s top studios working on some of ska and reggae’s earliest records as a mixer or engineer. It was in this capacity that Tubby began experimenting in what would later be called “remixes,” a practice that he has been credited for inventing. By the ’70s, Tubby was arguably the most popular mixers in Jamaica. Though not a musician in the traditional sense, Tubby was able to manipulate the knobs and dials of a mixing board in a way that made him just as vital to the final product as any of the guitarists or drummers. By removing vocals and certain instruments from the mixes, he created a new form of music called “dub.” Over the course of his career, he mixed or remixed albums by the greatest producers in Jamaica. Tragedy struck on February 6, 1989 when King Tubby, who had just turned 48, was shot and killed in what was believed to be a random robbery. His murder was never solved.
Yabby You was a Jamaican street hustler turned reggae singer and producer who came on the scene during the 1970s. He released his first single “Conquering Lion” in 1972 under the name, Vivian Jackson & the Ralph Brothers with 
