Initially teaming together in 1978 as members of a Channel One session group, dubbed the Revolutionaries (and later as Channel One Stars), featuring the rhythm section of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. When Shakespeare and Dunbar left to launch their own label Taxi Records, the Revolutionaries evolved into Roots Radics. The genesis of Roots Radics traces back to Morris "Blacker" Wellington's band, the Marvells, a group that featured future Roots Radics members Errol "Flabba" Holt on bass and Eric "Bingi Bunny" Lamont on guitar.
The Roots Radics have supported artists like Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs and Israel Vibration. Gregory Isaacs, Barrington Levy, Israel Vibration, Sugar Minott, Wailing Souls, Prince Far I and have several albums to their name as well.
Over the years they have been joined by Dwight Pickney, Steely 'Wycliffe' Johnson, Lincoln 'Style' Scott, Gladstone 'Gladdy' Anderson, Christopher 'Sky Juice' Burt and Noel 'Scully' Simms. Other musicians filled in when needed. Some of these included Noel 'Sowell' Bailey, Eric 'Fish' Clarke and Carlton 'Santa' Davis. When a horn section was required, David Madden, Headly Bennett and Dean Fraser were brought in. As a combined force the Roots Radics became the most respected studio and stage band, which dominated the sound in the first half of the eighties. They soon became spearheads of the dancehall style that dominated reggae music in the early '80s.