KING TUBBY was the original founder of 'Dub' Reggae, the mentor of Lee 'Scratch' Perry and a hugely respected innovative figure in
Jamaican music.Born Osbourne Ruddock in Kingston in 1941, Tubby grew up in High Holburn St. before moving to the Waterhouse
district in 1955, starting out repairing radios before moving on to experimenting with sound system amplifiers. He went to work
cutting and mixing records for Duke Reid, making special versions of Rocksteady tunes by removing the vocal track, fading it in at
suitable times, boosting the bass or rhythm guitar parts and dropping in echo ...read more
KING TUBBY was the original founder of 'Dub' Reggae, the mentor of Lee 'Scratch' Perry and a hugely respected innovative figure in
Jamaican music.Born Osbourne Ruddock in Kingston in 1941, Tubby grew up in High Holburn St. before moving to the Waterhouse
district in 1955, starting out repairing radios before moving on to experimenting with sound system amplifiers. He went to work
cutting and mixing records for Duke Reid, making special versions of Rocksteady tunes by removing the vocal track, fading it in at
suitable times, boosting the bass or rhythm guitar parts and dropping in echo or delay to the instruments he had isolated.Tubby,
therefore, simply invented Dub. Initially, the technique was used for custom acetates made exclusively for sound system use,
allowing DJ's to stretch out lyrically, pre-dating the emergence of US rappers by several years. Tubby's new sound caused a wild
response from fans and he expanded his possibilities away from four-track equipment to bring in further refinements on work with
all the other leading producers. He collaborated with Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo and in particular Bunny Lee with his magical session
band The Aggrovators. The inimitable rhythm section of Sly [Dunbar] & Robbie [Shakespeare] together with Aston 'Family Man'
Barett on bass and Earl 'Chinna' Smith on guitar provided a perfect sound at Tubby's own studio.Throughout the 70's and 80's,
Tubby's status was unrivalled until his tragic death in 1989, shot and killed during a robbery outside his home in St. Andrew,
Jamaica. [However,] his place in the development of reggae music is completely assured.~from 'Crucial Dub' CD booklet by Neil
Kellas, Delta Music « hide
