The Wailers is a reggae band that reformed after the death of Bob Marley in 1981. The original incarnation of the band joined together in 1963 when Hubert Winston Mcintosh (Peter Tosh) linked up with the other singers Neville Livingston (Bunny Wailer) and Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley) on their home island of Jamaica. Before we continue You have a chance to see some legends near you. Check out some of the best seats for The Wailers. The best tickets can be found just below.
April 16
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Before coming to the name The Wailers, the band had several more complicated titles: the Teenagers, the Wailing Rudeboys, and the Wailing Wailers. “Simmer Down”, the first hit from the group to top the Jamaican charts, was recorded with Lee “Scratch” Perry and his band the Upsetters backing up the Wailers. This relationship existed for many of the Wailers initial hits. Also, renowned reggae producer Leslie Kong introduced more backing members into the band from a group of studio musicians known as Beverley’s All-Stars.
The first major change to the band’s lineup occurred in 1974 when Tosh and Livingston refused on the grounds of their Rastafarian faith to play in “freak clubs”. Bob Marley decided to form Bob Marley & the Wailers, his own group of which he himself was the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Carlton Bennett replaced Bunny Wailer on drums, while his brother “Family Man” Barrett took up the Wailers bass. The I Three became the backup singers; this group included Bob Marley’s wife Rita, Judy Mowatt, and Marcia Griffiths.
The group has survived the passing of many of its original members. In 1987, six years after Marley’s death, both Carlton Bennett and Peter Tosh were murdered. So was vocalist Junior Braithwaite in 1999. The band’s current lineup consists of zero members of the original 1963 group; Aston “Family Man” Barrett and Junior Marvin led the band following Marley’s death. Barrett’s son, Aston Jr., is now a part of the band as well.
Junior Marvin is now the leader of the Wailers. When the group took the stage at the 2007 Uprising Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia he gives the opening line to Natural Mystic, “There’s a natural mystic blowing through the air”, before the drums and bass slipped into the signature reggae rhythm. Despite being of another time, the crowd falls into a sway with the beat. The light, bright, yet slow and soft, guitar solos which helped make the group in the seventies, remain present in this 21st-century performance. A video of the entire Slovakian show has close to 150,000 views on YouTube.
Buying Tickets to See the Wailers Live in Concert
The Wailers had the opportunity to travel the world during the Bob Marley era. The Wailers played wild shows like The Summer of ’80 Garden Party at the Crystal Palace Concert Bowl in London. One of the last shows the group played before Marley died was at Madison Square Garden on the island of Manhattan. Marley developed a cult following in the United States and the United Kingdom during the seventies. At the very least Marley’s legend has lived on in both countries’ pot cultures, it is still common to find a poster of Marley in college students’ houses. So if you are interested in experiencing a blast from the past, go see the Wailers live in concert. Deals on tickets to all your other favorite artists’ shows as well can be found. You can even see lineups where Ziggy Marley is performing with The Wailers.
More About the Wailers
The name I Thees of the three ladies who backed up Marley on vocals is a play on the Rastafarian concept of “I and I” which according to the religion describes the nature of the individual’s relationship to the Godhead.
Junior Marvin, outside of his work with Bob Marley and the Wailers, has collaborated with such famous musicians as Steve Winwood and Linda Lewis.
Witness the Wailers Live
Do not miss this opportunity to witness this legendary legacy carry on. If you are ready to get out there and see a concert a nice tour to check out is The Wailers. You can find some of the best seats above. Check out our ticket listings for a venue near you.
