Legendary musician dead at 79: ‘Never needed to stand at the front of the stage’

EntertainmentClifton “Jackie” Jackson has died. PixabayBy Brian Linder | blinder@pennlive.comThe music world lost another talented guitar player recently when Clifton “Jackie” Jackson died. He was 79.Jackson was a legendary Jamaican bass player.The Jamaican Gleaner first reported his death on Sept. 23. The outlet said that Jackson was being treated in the Cornwell Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, St. James for “close to two months.”The outlet credited Jackson with helping to “provide the heartbeat for some of the most enduring recording in Jamaican popular music.”“We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Clifton ‘Jackie’ Jackson,” Trojan Records wrote on Facebook. “A true pioneer of Jamaican music, Jackson’s distinctive bass playing helped shape the sound of ska, rocksteady and reggae. His unmistakable playing can be heard on recordings by Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Paul Simon and many of Jamaica’s most celebrated musical acts. His contribution to Jamaican music was immense, and his bass lines remain an enduring part of its rich musical legacy.“Our condolences to his family and everybody who loved him.”“Reggae has lost one of its founding hands,” Jamaican Beat wrote on Facebook. “Clifton ‘Jackie’ Jackson, one of the most important session bassists in Jamaican music history, died on September 23, 2026.“The bass may often stay out outside of the spotlight, but Jackie helped build the rhythmic foundation that carried Jamaican music from ska into rocksteady, and, eventually reggae,” the site added. “Jackie Jackson never needed to stand at the front of the stage. His work lived lower down — between the kick drum and the heartbeat of the song — holding the rhythm together, moving the world and creating bass lines that will outlive generations.”Brian Linder is the trending editor at PennLive.com. He has more than 20 years of experience working for newspapers first in South Carolina, then Daytona Beach, Florida and now in Pennsylvania. Linder spent...