Bob Marley 8

Bob Marley

Bob Marley, born Robert Nesta Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981), Nine Miles, St Ann, Jamaica. He was a singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was one of the most popular musical icons of the 20th century.

Marley’s Debut

While living in Trench Town, Marley along with Bunny Wailer received vocal training from the legendary Ska vocalist, Joe Higgs.

He started his musical career as a Ska vocalist in February of 1962 with producer Leslie Kong. He recorded his first single, “Judge Not” along with three other singles “One Cup Of Coffee”, “Do You Still Love Me” and “Terror”. The songs were distributed on the Beverley’s record label.

The Wailing Wailers Group

In 1963 Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer teamed up with Peter Tosh to form a singing group called The Teenagers. The Teenagers were also known as The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Brothers and The Wailing Wailers. By late 1963 Junior Braithwaite and Beverley Kelso joined the group. Joe Higgs, their vocal coach introduced The Wailing Wailers to producer Coxsone Dodd of Studio One.

In February 1964, lead by Bob Marley, their Ska single “Simmer Down” became their first hit record and a number one selling record in Jamaica. Later that year “It Hurts To Be Alone” sung by Junior Braithwaite became a number one hit. Braithwaite migrated with his  family to the United States shortly after. Cherry Smith joined the group in place of  Braithwaite. “Lonesome Feeling” became the first hit  song that the group recorded with Smith.

In 1965 they released their first Ska album called “The Wailing Wailers”. The album included songs recorded from 1963-1965. The group was backed by the Skatalites which was the official studio band of Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One. This work represented some of the greatest music compilations of the Ska era.

The Original Wailers Trio

The year 1966 represented a year of major changes for The Wailing Wailers. Beverley Kelso and Cherry Smith left the group, leaving behind the trio of Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. On February 10, 1966  Marley married Alpharita “Rita” Anderson in Kingston and the following day he moved to Wilmington, Delaware in USA. Constantine “Vision” Walker, the cousin of Rita Marley and a member of Rita’s singing group called The Soulettes joined the Wailers in order to substituted for Bob Marley’s absence. Marley spent six months in Delaware working the night shift at a Chrysler plant as a forklift operator and during the day as a lab assistant at Dupont chemical plant. His goal was to raise enough funds to promote the Wailing Wailer’s music.

The Wailing Wailers between 1963 and 1966 was a very dynamic group with four great vocalists: Marley, Braithwaite, Bunny and Tosh. Junior Braithwaite was lead singer on one of their hit singles “It Hurts To Be Alone” along with “Don’t Ever Leave Me” and “Straight and Narrow Way”. Bunny Wailer was lead vocalist on “Who Feels It Knows It” and “Dancing Shoes”. Peter Tosh lead on “Maga Dog” and “I Am The Toughest”. Constantine Walker, sang lead harmony for songs like “Dancing Shoes”, “Who Feels It Knows It” and “Let Him Go”.

The Wailers Group

In October 1966 Marley returned to Jamaica. By then a new genre known as Rocksteady was emerging on the Jamaican music landscape. The Wailing Wailers were part of the Rocksteady movement. This conflicted with Coxsone Dodd’s emphasis on producing Ska music. The group left Studio One and changed their name to The Wailers. They  bought a shop near Half Way Tree in Kingston and founded the Wail N’ Soul ‘M record label. It was also then that they became involved in the Rastafari lifestyle and  subsequently began to grow their dreadlocks.

In 1967 they released a few Rocksteady singles on the Wail N’ Soul ‘M label such as “Mellow Moods” and “Bend Down Low”, “Nice Time”, “Hypocrites”, “Stir It Up” and “Thank You Lord”. The records did not sell and by the end of the year the new record label had to close.

The Wailers Band

 The Wailers Band

In 1970 Marley formed a new record label called Tuff Gong. The first single to ever be released on the  Tuff Gong label was “Run for Cover”. They met music producer Lee Perry later that year and formed a  formidable team. The group recorded their music with the the studio band of Lee Scratch Perry’  called The Upsetters.

Aston Barrett and Carlton Barrett who were members of The Upsetters joined with members of The  Wailers to form The Wailers Band.Their popularity in Jamaica and the Caribbean continued to grow. In  December 1970 they released the album “Soul Rebels” which was produced by Lee Scratch Perry. It was  their first album to have been released outside of Jamaica. It was distributed in the UK by Trojan Records.

In 1971 they  released their second album called “Soul Revolution” produced and released on Lee Scartch Perry’s Upsetters record label. The album featured songs such as “Kaya”, “Sun Is Shining”, “Duppy Conqueror”, “Don’t Rock My Boat” and “Put It On”.

In 1972 The Wailers met american singer Johnny Nash in Kingston and they accompanied Nash to London. There, they signed with the London based CBS Records. They produced a single called “Reggae On Broadway” which was not well promoted. Their road manager Brent Clarke introduced the band to Chris Blackwell who immediately signed them to his record label, Island Records.

In April 1973 the Wailers recorded their first album with Island Records called “Catch A Fire”. Later that same year they released their second album called “Burnin'”. Both albums featured re-recordings of some of the songs previously released by Lee Perry.

Bob Marley & The Wailers

In 1974 Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the band to pursue their solo careers. Marley then formed a new band called Bob Marley and The Wailers. The new band included Bob Marley as lead vocalist, guitarist and song writer, Carlton Barrett on drums; Aston Barrett on bass; Junior Mervin and Al Anderson on guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earle Lindo on keyboards and Alvin Patterson on percussion. Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt of The I-Threes provided backing vocals.

Later that year the new Bob Marley and The Wailers produced their first album called “Natty Dread”. The album was significant because it was the first album which Marley was recording without Tosh and Bunny. It was also the first album recorded with the I-Threes. The album peaked at number 44 on the Billboard chart.

From the years 1976 to 1980 they released a total of five new albums; one album each year. As their popularity surged they toured extensively around the world and especially in Europe, North America, Africa and the Caribbean. Marley and his band had established themselves as one of the most popular band worldwide and certainly the most popular musicians from Jamaica. They were named Band of the Year by Rolling Stone Magazine in 1976. The 1977 album “Exodus” spent 56 weeks on the British charts.

Posthumous Career

On May 11, 1981 Bob Marley died at Cedars of Labannon Hospital in Miami,Florida, four years after he was diagnosed with cancer. He was buried at his birth place in Nine Miles St Ann on May 21, 1981.

Several of the group’s members have died subsequent to Marley’s death. Carlton Barrett and Peter Tosh died in 1987; Junior Braithwaite in 1999 and  Cherry Smith in 2008. Bunny Wailer and Beverley Kelso are the only surviving members of the group’s original line-up.

Marley’s popularity has soared even after his death. In March 1994 Marley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999 the album “Exodus” was named album of the century by Time Magazine. In 2001 he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004 the song “One Love” was named the song of the millennium by BBC. In 2010 the album “Catch A Fire” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Marley continues to be the most celebrated musician in the world. His message and music have impacted people from all over the globe. It is in recognition of his accomplishments and musical legacy that the people of Jamaica and reggae fans worldwide have declared him, the undisputed King of Reggae.

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Original Albums

The Wailing Wailers (1965)

Soul Rebels (1970)

Soul Revolution (1971)

Catch A Fire (Island Records 1973)

Burnin’ (Island Records 1973)

Natty Dread (1974)

Rastaman Vibration (1976)

Exodus (1977)

Kaya (1978)

Survival (1979)

Uprising (1980)

Confrontation (1983)

also read Bob Marley | Bob Marley and the Wailers | The Wailers