List of Bob Marley and the Wailers band members

Last updated

Bob Marley and the Wailers performing at Crystal Palace, London (1980) Bob-marley-wailers-crystal-palace.jpg
Bob Marley and the Wailers performing at Crystal Palace, London (1980)

Bob Marley and the Wailers were a Jamaican reggae band created by Bob Marley. The band formed when self-taught musician Hubert Winston McIntosh (Peter Tosh) met Neville Livingston (Bunny Wailer), and Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley) in 1963 and taught them how to play guitar, keyboards, and percussion. By late 1963 Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith had joined the Wailers. After Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the band in 1974, Bob Marley began touring with new band members. His new backing band included brothers Carlton Barrett and Aston "Family Man" Barrett on drums and bass respectively, Junior Marvin and Al Anderson on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earl "Wya" Lindo on keyboards, and Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion. The "I Threes", consisting of Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, and Marley's wife, Rita, provided backing vocals.

Contents

Members

Official members

ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributions
Bob Marley & The Wailing Wailers Zurich Com L29-0351-0006-0007.tif
Bob Marley 1963–1981 (until his death)
  • vocals
  • rhythm guitar
  • acoustic guitar
  • percussion
all releases
BushDoctor1978.jpg
Peter Tosh 1963–1974 (died 1987)
  • vocals
  • lead guitar
  • piano
  • organ
all releases from The Wailing Wailers (1965) until Burnin' (1973)
BunnyWailer-Istandpredominate.jpg
Bunny Wailer 1963–1974 (died 2021)
  • vocals
  • congas
  • bongos
Junior Braithwaite 1963–1964 (died 1999)vocalsThe Wailing Wailers (1965)
Cherry Smith
  • 1963–1964
  • 1965–1966 (died 2008)
backing vocals
Beverley Kelso 1964–1965
Constantine Walker 1966none
Aston "Family Man" Barrett.jpg
Aston Barrett 1970–1981 (died 2024)
  • bass guitar
  • guitar
  • percussion
  • keyboards
  • piano
all releases from Soul Rebels (1970) until Confrontation (1983)
Carlton Barrett 1970–1981 (died 1987)
  • drums
  • percussion
Earl Lindo
  • 1973
  • 1978–1981 (died 2017)
  • keyboards
  • clavinet
  • organ
  • percussion
  • backing vocals
  • Burnin' (1973)
  • Survival (1979)
  • Uprising (1980)
  • Confrontation (1983)
Bob Marley & The Wailing Wailers Zurich Com L29-0351-0003-0001.tif
Tyrone Downie 1974–1981 (died 2022)
  • organ
  • keyboards
  • bass guitar
  • percussion
  • backing vocals
  • Catch a Fire (1973)
  • all releases from Rastaman Vibration (1976) until Confrontation (1983)
Rita-Marley.jpg
Rita Marley 1974–1981backing vocals
  • Catch a Fire (1973)
  • all releases from Natty Dread (1974) until Confrontation (1983)
Ruhr Reggae Summer Muelheim 2016 Marcia Griffiths 05.jpg
Marcia Griffiths
Bob Marley & The Wailing Wailers Zurich Com L29-0351-0004-0005.tif
Judy Mowatt all releases from Natty Dread (1974) until Confrontation (1983)
Al Anderson1978.png
Al Anderson
  • 1974–1975
  • 1978–1981
lead and rhythm guitar
  • Natty Dread (1974)
  • Rastaman Vibration (1976)
  • Survival (1979)
  • Uprising (1980)
Alvin "Seeco" Patterson.jpg
Alvin Patterson 1975–1981 (died 2021)percussion
  • Catch a Fire (1973)
  • Burnin' (1973)
  • Rastaman Vibration (1976)
  • Exodus (1977)
  • Kaya (1978)
  • Uprising (1980)
  • Confrontation (1983)
ChinnaSmith.jpg
Earl "Chinna" Smith 1975–1976
  • lead and rhythm guitar
  • percussion
Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Donald Kinsey.jpg
Donald Kinsey 1975–1976 (died 2024)
  • lead guitar
  • backing vocals
JuniorMarvin.jpg
Junior Marvin 1977–1981all releases from Exodus (1977) until Confrontation (1983)

Touring members

ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributions
Joe Higgs 1973
  • vocals
  • percussion
none
Lee Jaffe 1974–1975harmonica

Session musicians

ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributions
Hugh Malcolm1967–1972
  • drums
  • percussion
Alva "Reggie" Lewisguitar
  • Soul Rebels (1970)
  • Soul Revolution (1971)
Glen Adams.jpg
Glen Adams keyboards
Robbie Shakespeare TFF 03.JPG
Robbie Shakespeare bass guitarCatch a Fire (1973)
Wayne Perkins lead guitar
RabbitBundrick1974.png
John "Rabbit" Bundrick
  • synthesizer
  • clavinet
  • organ
Chris Karenpercussion
Winston Wright
Bernard "Touter" Harvey
  • piano
  • organ
Natty Dread (1974)
Nathaniel Ian Wynter aka Natty Wailerkeyboards
  • Rastaman Vibration (1976)
  • Exodus (1977)
Vin Gordon saxophoneKaya (1978)
Glen Da Costa
  • trumpet
  • saxophone
  • Kaya (1978)
  • Confrontation (1983)
David Maddentrumpet
Val DouglasbassSurvival (1979) [1]
Mikey "Boo" Richardsdrums
Carlton "Santa" Davis Confrontation (1983)
Devon Evanspercussion
Ronald "Nambo" Robinsontrombone

Timeline

List of Bob Marley and the Wailers band members

Line-ups

PeriodMembersReleases
c. 1964
c. 1965
  • Bob Marley – vocals
  • Peter Tosh – vocals
  • Bunny Wailer – vocals
  • Beverley Kelso – backing vocals
  • Cherry Smith – backing vocals
c. 1966
1966–1970
  • Bob Marley – vocals
  • Peter Tosh – vocals
  • Bunny Wailer – vocals
  • Rita Marley – backing vocals
1970–1972
  • Bob Marley – vocals, guitar
  • Peter Tosh – vocals, guitar
  • Bunny Wailer – vocals, percussion
  • Aston Barrett – bass guitar
  • Carlton Barrett – drums
1973
  • Bob Marley – vocals, guitar
  • Peter Tosh – vocals, guitar
  • Bunny Wailer – vocals, percussion
  • Earl Lindo – keyboards
  • Aston Barrett – bass guitar
  • Carlton Barrett – drums
1974
  • Bob Marley – vocals, guitar
  • Peter Tosh – vocals, guitar
  • Bunny Wailer – vocals, percussion
  • Tyrone Downie – keyboards
  • Aston Barrett – bass guitar
  • Carlton Barrett – drums
1974–1975
  • Bob Marley – vocals, guitar
  • Rita Marley – backing vocals
  • Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
  • Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
  • Al Anderson – lead guitar
  • Tyrone Downie – keyboards
  • Aston Barrett – bass guitar
  • Carlton Barrett – drums
  • Alvin Patterson – percussion
1975–1976
  • Bob Marley – vocals, guitar
  • Rita Marley – backing vocals
  • Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
  • Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
  • Earl "Chinna" Smith – guitar
  • Donald Kinsey – lead guitar
  • Tyrone Downie – keyboards
  • Aston Barrett – bass guitar
  • Carlton Barrett – drums
  • Alvin Patterson – percussion
1977
  • Bob Marley – vocals, guitar
  • Rita Marley – backing vocals
  • Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
  • Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
  • Junior Marvin – guitar
  • Tyrone Downie – keyboards
  • Aston Barrett – bass guitar
  • Carlton Barrett – drums
  • Alvin Patterson – percussion
1978–1981
  • Bob Marley – vocals, guitar
  • Rita Marley – backing vocals
  • Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
  • Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
  • Junior Marvin – guitar
  • Al Anderson – guitar
  • Tyrone Downie – keyboards
  • Earl Lindo – keyboards
  • Aston Barrett – bass guitar
  • Carlton Barrett – drums
  • Alvin Patterson – percussion

Related Research Articles

<i>Natty Dread</i> 1974 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Natty Dread is the seventh album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1974. Previously Marley had recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer as the Wailers, and this was his first record without them.

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<i>Burnin</i> (Bob Marley and the Wailers album) 1973 studio album by the Wailers

Burnin' is the sixth album by Jamaican reggae group the Wailers, released in October 1973. It was written by all three members and recorded and produced by the Wailers in Jamaica, contemporaneously with tracks from the Catch a Fire album with further recording, mixing and completion while on the Catch a Fire tour in London. It contains the song "I Shot the Sheriff". It was the last album before Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer decided to pursue solo careers, while continuing their local releases through their company Tuff Gong Records. A commercial and critical success in the United States, Burnin' was certified Gold and later added to the National Recording Registry, with the Library of Congress deeming it historically and culturally significant.

<i>Catch a Fire</i> 1973 studio album by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Catch a Fire is the fifth studio album by the reggae band The Wailers, released in April 1973. It was their first album released by Island Records. After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, they had started laying down tracks for JAD Records when a disputed CBS contract with Danny Sims created tensions. The band did not have enough money to return to Jamaica, so their road manager Brent Clarke approached producer Chris Blackwell, who agreed to advance The Wailers money for an album. They instead used this money to pay their fares back home, where they completed the recordings that constitute Catch a Fire. The album has nine songs, two of which were written and composed by Peter Tosh; the remaining seven were by Bob Marley. While Bunny Wailer is not credited as a writer, the group's writing style was a collective process. For the immediate follow-up album, Burnin', also released in 1973, he contributed four songs. After Marley returned with the tapes to London, Blackwell reworked the tracks at Island Studios, with contributions by Muscle Shoals session musician Wayne Perkins, who played guitar on three overdubbed tracks. The album had a limited original release under the name The Wailers in a sleeve depicting a Zippo lighter, designed by graphic artists Rod Dyer and Bob Weiner; subsequent releases had an alternative cover designed by John Bonis, featuring an Esther Anderson portrait of Marley smoking a "spliff", and crediting the band as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

<i>Survival</i> (Bob Marley and the Wailers album) 1979 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Survival is the eleventh studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1979.

<i>Confrontation</i> (Bob Marley and the Wailers album) 1983 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Confrontation is the thirteenth and final studio album by Bob Marley & the Wailers and the only one to be released posthumously in May 1983, two years after Marley's death. The songs were compiled from unreleased material and singles recorded during Marley's lifetime. Many of the tracks were built up from demos, most notably "Jump Nyabinghi" where vocals from the I-Threes were added, which were not there when Marley released the song as a dubplate in 1979. In addition the harmony vocals on "Blackman Redemption" and "Rastaman Live Up" are performed by the I-Threes in order to give the album a consistent sound – on the original single versions they are performed by the Meditations. The most famous track on the album is "Buffalo Soldier".

<i>Rastaman Vibration</i> 1976 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Rastaman Vibration is the eighth studio album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in April 1976.

<i>Kaya</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

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<i>Talkin Blues</i> 1991 live album by Bob Marley & The Wailers

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<i>The Wailing Wailers</i> 1965 debut album of Jamaican band The Wailers who later became Bob Marley and The Wailers

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The Wailers Band is a reggae band formed by former members of Bob Marley and the Wailers after his death in 1981, one of several spinoffs from Marley's original group.

Franklin Delano Alexander "Junior" Braithwaite was a reggae musician from Kingston, Jamaica and the youngest member of the vocal group, The Wailing Wailers.

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<i>Bob, Peter, Bunny & Rita</i> 1985 compilation album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

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Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM, professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963–1976), after which he established himself as a successful solo artist and a promoter of Rastafari. He was murdered in 1987 during a home invasion.

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<i>Easy Skanking in Boston 78</i> 2015 live album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

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References

  1. Steffens, Roger; Pierson, Leroy Jodie (2005). Bob Marley And The Wailers - The Definitive Discography. Rounder Books. p. 116. ISBN   1-57940-120-1 . Retrieved 6 October 2017.