Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1931, Knibb, grew up on Bond Street, close to where a local band rehearsed, and he made his own drum kit from a wooden box and paint cans to practice the sounds that he had heard.

[1] He also played with Count Ossie's group, adding burru and nyabinghi to his repertoire, and he regularly accompanied Rastafarian leader Sam Brown at meetings.

[1] Knibb's technical proficiency and wide knowledge of styles soon led to him being featured on the recordings of Coxsone Dodd, Prince Buster, Sonia Pottinger and Duke Reid, playing an instrumental part in the development of ska.

They recorded for the Treasure Isle (Duke Reid), Studio One (Clement Dodd) and Top Hat (Phillip Yap) labels, releasing ska music in the 1960s to an audience that responded to a rhythm that was uniquely Jamaican.

[citation needed] In his later years, Knibb resided in Hull, Massachusetts with his longtime friend and fellow musician, John, and his wife, Adele.