A self-taught musician with an inborn ability for musical arrangement and an exceptional sense of timing, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, who has died aged 77, played an integral role in the international acceptance of reggae as the bassist and bandleader of Bob Marley and the Wailers.
As a member of the studio band the Upsetters, Barrett produced meaty and melodious basslines that featured on the pivotal recordings the Wailers made for the producer Lee “Scratch” Perry in 1970-71. His younger brother, Carlton Barrett, played drums.
