Lloyd Knibb
March 8, 1931 – May 12, 2011
Lloyd Knibb is best remembered as the longtime drummer for influential Jamaican ska band, the Skatalites. Helping to form the group in 1964, Knibb was their for the early development of ska, a form of Caribbean music that included elements of calypso, mento, American jazz, and R&B that was the foundation of reggae. The Skatalites’ biggest hit was “Guns Of Navarone.” Knibb began his career during the 1940s when he played in various Jamaican jazz bands. That lead to session work for legendary producer Coxsone Dodd and recordings for the likes of reggae pioneers, Duke Reid and Prince Buster. He provided the backbeat for the Skatalites from their inception in 1964 until their break up just a year later, and then from their much heralded 1983 reunion at Reggae Sunsplash until the time of his death. He performed his last show with the band in April of 2011. On May 12, 2011, Lloyd Knibb died of liver cancer. He was 80.
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