In 1977, the year of the punk-reggae fusion, it seemed that every ghetto-blaster was pumping out yet another crisp, clear mix from the studio of Joe Gibbs and his seemingly unstoppable hit machine.

Joe Gibbs, 65, an influential reggae music producer who helped create the 1970s hit “Two Sevens Clash” for Culture, died Feb. 20 of a heart attack in Jamaica, according to news reports.