Steve Barrow, the British reggae producer and historiographer who co-founded the Blood and Fire record label, died on May 30, 2026, at the age of 80.
Born on September 29, 1945, Barrow was also a journalist, critic, writer and archivist whose work helped document and reissue reggae for new audiences. He met Peter Dalton while working at Honest Jon’s record shop, and the two later collaborated on The Rough Guide to Reggae.
Between 1979 and 1980, he worked freelance for Island Records compiling a series of vinyl releases including Intensified, More Intensified, Catch The Beat and The Blue Beat Years. From the 1970s through 1992, he assembled numerous albums and wrote liner notes for Trojan Records, and in 1993 he and Mick Hucknall founded Blood and Fire to reissue roots reggae and dub recordings.
Steve Barrow, 80, British reggae producer and historiographer, co-founder of Blood and Fire. (death announced on this date)