Photo: Press
Founder of The Specials and 2 Tone Records, Jerry Dammers posted an emotional statement paying tribute to Rico Rodriguez, the trombone player of the band who passed away last week.
The legendary Jamaican trombonist passed away at the age of 80. As well as working with The Specials, Rodriguez featured on hundreds of other releases between 1958 and 2008, featuring most recently in Jools Holland’s band.
In a recent tweet, The Specials commented on his death and offered their condolences to his family.
Our dear friend Rico passed away today.We offer our deepest condolences to his family.His legacy will go on forever and a day. RIP dear Rico
— thespecials (@thespecials) September 4, 2015
Rodriguez was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to music. He passed away in London on Friday (4 September).
Read Dammer’s full statement below:
"It’s hard to express how sad I feel about the death of Rico Rodriguez. He taught me so much about what a proper musician is supposed to try and do. For me, getting to play with him was one of the greatest things about the Specials. His album ‘Man from Wareika’ had been one of my all-time favourites and a great inspiration.
"I could not believe that he had agreed to play with us, and his contribution to the Specials was immeasurable. He provided an all -important link to authentic Jamaican ska and reggae, which we had tried to copy, and his trombone added the essential element which took us to a next level and helped offer the band a possibility of progression beyond the confines of punk."
