Legendary Jamaican bassist Clifton “Jackie” Jackson dies at 79

Clifton “Jackie” Jackson, the legendary bass guitarist who played on countless hit songs by artistes such as Toots And The Maytals, Jimmy Cliff and Paul Simon, died in Montego Bay on Wednesday. Jackson, 79, was admitted to the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James recently. He was a fixture on the Montego Bay hotel scene for many years, mentoring artistes and musicians including his wife, Karen Smith, who died in 2021. From Central Kingston, Jackson got his start in the mid-1960s at the Treasure Isle recording studio of producer Duke Reid. He was a member of The Supersonics, the house band that played on numerous hit singles including Girl I’ve Got A Date by Alton Ellis, Little Nut Tree by The Melodians and Queen Majesty by The Techniques. Jackson also played on classic songs for producer Leslie Kong, such as Israelites by Desmond Dekker and The Aces, By The Rivers of Babylon by The Melodians as well as The Harder They Come and Wonderful World, Beautiful People by Jimmy Cliff. In 1972, Jackson and fellow Jamaican musicians including guitarist Hux Brown and keyboardist Neville Hinds played on Simon’s Mother And Child Reunion, which is from the American singer’s debut album released that year. Some of Jackson’s best work was done with Toots And The Maytals with whom he toured for 50 years. His patented sound can be heard on that group’s biggest hits which include Pressure Drop, Funky Kingston and Sweet And Dandy. At the Back-2-Bass-es show last February at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in St Andrew, Jackson told the Observer Online that it is important to teach Jamaican youth about reggae’s history. “Mentoring the younger generation is paramount to our music industry. The beautiful thing about the music I’ve played over the years, is that it will always be there to provide inspiration for more generations to come; and that is something I can be really proud of,” he said. That event featured fellow bassists Boris Gardiner, Lloyd Parks, Daniel “Danny Axeman” Thompson, Donald “Danny Bassie” Dennis and Errol “Flabba Holt” Carter. In 2012, Jackie Jackson was awarded the Order of Distinction for his contribution to the development of Jamaican music.

Jamaican music has lost one of its great bass men, with veteran musician Clifton “Jackie” Jackson dying this morning after a lengthy hospitalisation.