Shakespeare grew up in eastern Kingston, Jamaica and began playing the guitar, but then moved on to the base, the instrument he became known for mastering.
He has collaborated with artists and bands such as Grace Jones, Bob Dylan, Sinéad O'Connor and The Rolling Stones.
- I only drive as I feel.
If I work with a singer, as soon as the singer starts singing, I adapt and make myself a part of it.
I'm not trying to play over him or under him or be on the outside, he explained his adaptability in an interview with Fog City Journal in 2009.
His music also appeared in movies and TV series such as "Speed 2" and "The wire", and his voice appeared in the video game "GTA: San Andreas".
According to The Gleaner, Shakespeare died in the suites of a kidney operation in Florida in the USA.
He turned 68 years old.
Hear some of Shakespeare's music and a short interview from 1999 in the clip.