King Tubby

Born January 28, 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, King Tubby is renowned for pioneering dub music in the 1960s. With formal training in electronics, he opened a repair shop in his family's backyard before establishing Tubby's Home Town Hi Fi sound system in Waterhouse in 1958, which became one of Jamaica's finest by the late 1960s.

Beginning his studio work with Arthur "Duke" Reid at Treasure Isle in 1968, King Tubby revolutionized music production by creating innovative remixes—initially removing vocals from hit songs, then progressively manipulating instrumentals with special effects like echoes, feedback, and filtering. After opening his own studio in 1971 and equipping it with second-hand gear including a two-track console and acetate engraving machine, his remixes achieved enormous popularity across Jamaica.

During the 1970s, King Tubby's studio innovations fundamentally shaped modern dub music. He produced and engineered for Jamaica's biggest artists, including Lee Perry, Augustus "Gussie" Clarke, Rupie Edwards, Carlton Patterson, Niney The Observer, Glen Brown, Leonard "Santic" Chin, Bertram Brown, Augustus Pablo, Yabby You, and crucially Bunny Lee, for whom he created most B-sides from 1974-1977. His work with Bunny Lee led to acquiring a four-track MCI console. By the mid-1970s, he began adding vocals to instrumentals, eventually transitioning toward mentoring emerging talent including Philip Smart, Pat Kelly, King Jammy, Errol Thompson, and Scientist.

In the 1980s, King Tubby focused on production work through his Firehouse label group, collaborating with Anthony Red Rose, Sugar Minott, and other prominent musicians. He was killed on February 6, 1989, in an apparent robbery attempt.