KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has hailed dancehall/reggae music producer, Robert ‘Bobby Digital’ Dixon as a titan of the modern Jamaican music industry.

Dixon died on Thursday from a kidney-related illness. He was 59.

In a statement today, Grange extended condolences to Dixon’s family.

“Bobby Digital was one of the most respected record producers of his time. He paid attention to detail and brought out the best in the artistes he worked with. He had a great work ethic and the studio was his playground. I had a wonderful experience working with him and I was always in awe at his ability to take the simplest ideas and turn them into chart toppers. So strong was his influence that many upcoming artistes felt their only path to stardom was to record for Bobby Digital. He was one of the producers who came from a special mould akin to the likes of Coxsone Dodd, King Jammys and Jack Scorpio who could direct others into making hit beats and chart-topping songs. I am sure that all the stakeholders in the music industry would agree that we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude,” said the minister.

She noted that Dixon along with fellow producer, Clifton ‘Specialist’ Dillon, was instrumental in achieving crossover breakthrough for dancehall music in the United States.

Bobby Digital began his career as a studio engineer with King Jammys in 1985 in the community of Waterhouse, where he was born.