In Memoriam: Legendary ska / reggae producer Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd: 1932-2004

Jamaican music producer Clement "Sir Coxsone'' Dodd, an early pioneer of ska, rocksteady and reggae, died on Tuesday of an apparent heart attack. He was 72. In 1963 Dodd opened Studio One, Jamaica's first black-owned music studio, and installed ska founders The Skatalites as the resident house band. Dodd is widely credited with launching the career of Bob Marley and the Wailers with their 1964 single "Simmer Down," and was involved with a vast majority of significant Jamaican music from that era.

Our condolences go out Sir Coxsone's friends and family. More comprehensive details on his life and works can be found in obituaries in The Telegraph, Jamacia Observer and Billboard. There's also an older interview online from Grand Royal Magazine.