Jamaican reggae singer Toots Hibbert, of Toots and The Maytals, photographed in 1974.

Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the lead singer and songwriter of Toots and the Maytals and one of reggae's foundational figures, died Friday in Kingston, Jamaica.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica," read the statement.

(The chorus of "Bam Bam" was featured in Sister Nancy's 1982 song of the same name.) Hibbert was arrested shortly after The Maytals' victory and sentenced to 18 months for possession of marijuana; he described the incident as "political, a means to keep me down.".

Two Maytals tracks produced by Kong — "Pressure Drop," about tough conditions in Jamaica, and "Sweet and Dandy," an engaging tale of a rural wedding — were included on the Island Records soundtrack to the 1972 landmark film The Harder They Come, which introduced reggae to America.

In the film, directed by Perry Henzell, The Maytals are seen recording "Sweet and Dandy" (their 1969 Jamaica Festival Song Contest winner) while the film's lead character, aspiring singer Ivan O.

They released several influential albums for the label, including Funky Kingston (1975), Reggae Got Soul (1976) and, following the departure of Matthias and Gordon, Hibbert's solo album Toots in Memphis (1988).

"Toots was the writer, singer, songwriter, you never saw anybody else on stage because Toots was so charismatic," said Blackwell in the 2011 BBC documentary, Toots and The Maytals: Reggae Got Soul.

"One of the things Toots always told us was to 'sing from your soul, man,'" said Morgan, whose father, Denroy Morgan, knew Hibbert since their childhood days in Mocho Village, May Pen

Later in life, Hibbert won the 2005 Grammy for best reggae album for True Love

On the album, an impassioned Hibbert addresses global atrocities on the soul jam "Just Brutal," overcoming obstacles on the funk-infused "Struggle," combating dirty principles with decency on the scorching "Warning Warning" and staying resilient, irrespective of the circumstances on the indomitable title track