Reggae legend Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals, dies at 77

Sad news coming out of Jamaica this morning, with the announcement that reggae legend Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals has died at 77. Hibbert had been hospitalized earlier this month in Kingston, Jamaica, and was recently placed into a medically induced coma at Kingston’s University Hospital of the West Indies.

With the Maytals, Toots helped popularize reggae across the globe and is even thought to have coined the genre with 1968’s “Do the Reggay.” Hibbert formed the Maytals with Nathaniel “Jerry” Mathias and Henry “Raleigh” Gordon in Kingston in 1962. The Maytals contributed two songs (“Pressure Drop,” “Sweet and Dandy”) to the soundtrack to 1972’s The Harder They Come, the success of which brought reggae to a worldwide audience.

Toots was sentenced to 18 months in 1966 for marijuana possession, a charge that he always claimed was set up by local authorities. The experience spurred him to write the classic “54-46 Was My Number,” which became one of his most well-known songs, as well as a battle cry against injustice.

Toots continued to record and perform over the decades, and just released his latest album, Got to be Tough, this past August.

Rest in peace Toots. Brighten up your day with some classic Toots cuts below.