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.
Members
Official members
Image
Name
Years active
Instruments
Release contributions
Bob Marley
1963–1981 (until his death)
vocals rhythm guitar acoustic guitar percussion
all releases
Peter Tosh
1963–1974 (died 1987)
vocals lead guitar piano organ
all releases from The Wailing Wailers (1965) until Burnin' (1973)
Bunny Wailer
1963–1974 (died 2021)
Junior Braithwaite
1963–1964 (died 1999)
vocals
The Wailing Wailers (1965)
Cherry Smith
1963–1964 1965–1966 (died 2008)
backing vocals
Beverley Kelso
1964–1965
Constantine Walker
1966
none
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)
Earl Lindo
1973 1978–1981 (died 2017)
keyboards clavinet organ percussion backing vocals
Burnin' (1973)
Survival (1979)
Uprising (1980)
Confrontation (1983)
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
1974–1981
backing vocals
Catch a Fire (1973)
all releases from Natty Dread (1974) until Confrontation (1983)
Marcia Griffiths
Judy Mowatt
all releases from Natty Dread (1974) until Confrontation (1983)
Al Anderson
lead and rhythm guitar
Natty Dread (1974)
Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Survival (1979)
Uprising (1980)
Alvin Patterson
1975–1981 (died 2021)
percussion
Catch a Fire (1973)
Burnin' (1973)
Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Exodus (1977)
Kaya (1978)
Uprising (1980)
Confrontation (1983)
Earl "Chinna" Smith
1975–1976
lead and rhythm guitar percussion
Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Donald Kinsey
1975–1976 (died 2024)
lead guitar backing vocals
Junior Marvin
1977–1981
all releases from Exodus (1977) until Confrontation (1983)
Touring members
Image
Name
Years active
Instruments
Release contributions
Joe Higgs
1973
none
Lee Jaffe
1974–1975
harmonica
Session musicians
Image
Name
Years active
Instruments
Release contributions
Hugh Malcolm
1967–1972
Alva "Reggie" Lewis
guitar
Soul Rebels (1970)
Soul Revolution (1971)
Glen Adams
keyboards
Robbie Shakespeare
bass guitar
Catch a Fire (1973)
Wayne Perkins
lead guitar
John "Rabbit" Bundrick
Chris Karen
percussion
Winston Wright
Bernard "Touter" Harvey
Natty Dread (1974)
Nathaniel Ian Wynter aka Natty Wailer
keyboards
Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Exodus (1977)
Vin Gordon
saxophone
Kaya (1978)
Glen Da Costa
Kaya (1978)
Confrontation (1983)
David Madden
trumpet
Val Douglas
bass
Survival (1979)[1]
Mikey "Boo" Richards
drums
Carlton "Santa" Davis
Confrontation (1983)
Devon Evans
percussion
Ronald "Nambo" Robinson
trombone
Timeline
Line-ups
References
External links