Funeral Service For Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett Set For March 5

There will be a service of thanksgiving for the life of legendary bassist Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett on March 5 at the National Indoor Sports Centre, beginning at 10 a.m.

There will be a separate, private funeral for the iconic musician, which will be held in Florida later this month.

“We will be doing a private one in Miami Feb 24th, then in Jamaica, we will be doing another on March 5th as his final resting place will be Jamaica,” Floyd Barrett, better known as John GQ, told DancehallMag.

Floyd and his brothers, Kevin ‘Roadmaster’ Barrett, and Aston Barrett Jr. started the studio known as Fams House back in 2004.

Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett died on February 3, 2024 at the age of 77 after a long illness.

He was the bass player and musical director for the Wailers — both with Bob Marley and for decades after the singer’s death in 1981. He also played for Burning Spear and Augustus Pablo.

He is known for his brilliant hypnotic rhythms and complex melodies that crafted the distinctive sound of the Wailers.

Barrett received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Bass Player Magazine in 2012 and was selected as the number-one bassist by the staff of Bass Player Magazine, in their ranking of “20 legendary players who shaped the sound of electric bass” in 2020.

In 2021, he was honored with the Order of Distinction (Commander class) in the National Honours and Awards on Jamaica’s 59th Anniversary of Independence.