Sid Bucknor, Innovative Reggae Producer, Dies in London Hospital

Sid Bucknor, the pioneering sound engineer who helped transform commercial Jamaican music from ska to reggae, passed away on Sunday in the U.K., according to the Jamaica Observer. Bucknor, who moved to the U.K. in 1970, spent a lifetime working in the studio with legendary reggae artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, Desmond Dekker, Alton Ellis, John Holt, Ken Boothe and Bob Andy. Before moving to England, the producer worked in celebrated Jamaican studios like Dynamics, Federal, Studio One, Channel One, Treasure Isle, Harry J, Randys, King Tubbys and Joe Gibbs. Bucknor is perhaps best known for the studio work he did with Marley and the Wailers, with whom he mixed and produced the seminal albums 'Catch a Fire,' 'Natty Dread,' and 'Burning.'

Guitarist and close friend Cecil Smith issued a short tribute to his deceased colleague, describing Bucknor as "a very patient teacher who was always happy to pass on his knowledge and skills to anyone wishing to learn." Portraying the producer as a man who "pioneered new ways and techniques of capturing the feel and spirit of the music," Smith went on to definitively state that Bucknor's "contributions to Jamaican music cannot be overlooked." Sid Bucknor passed away at London's St Charles Hospital, after battling cancer.