Born in Kingston on 2 October 1932,[1] Bobby Ellis attended the Alpha Boys School which is famous for its musical alumni.
The school's music curriculum consisted of marches, waltzes and classical pieces which gave Ellis an extensive knowledge of timing, harmony and form.
He also acted as arranger for producer Jack Ruby and was part of Ruby's studio band the Black Disciples, playing on Burning Spear's Marcus Garvey album and going on to tour as part of Spear's band for twelve years.
[2] He also played and co-arranged (with Tommy McCook) the horns on Bunny Wailer's 1976 album Blackheart Man.
[4][5][6] Ellis died at the University Hospital of the West Indies on 18 October 2016, aged 84, from a pneumonia-related illness.