Bob Marley & The Wailers

Bob Marley and the Wailers emerged from Kingston as one of Jamaica’s defining ska, rocksteady and reggae groups. Founded in 1963 by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, the band worked under several early names, including the Teenagers, the Wailing Rudeboys and the Wailing Wailers, before becoming the Wailers.

In 1970 and 1971, Marley, Tosh and Wailer recorded with Leslie Kong and Lee “Scratch” Perry. Their work with Kong included The Best of the Wailers, while sessions with Perry and the Upsetters produced Soul Rebels and Soul Revolution Part II. The group’s early recordings included “Simmer Down,” “Nice Time” and “Trenchtown Rock,” songs that traced their movement from ska toward reggae.

Before signing with Island Records in 1972, the Wailers released four albums, with two further albums produced before Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left in 1974. Their departures were attributed to dissatisfaction with the label’s treatment of the group and ideological disagreements. Marley then continued under the Bob Marley and the Wailers name with a new lineup that included the I-Threes, featuring Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt. Musicians including Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Carlton Barrett, Junior Marvin, Al Anderson, Tyrone Downie and Earl “Wire” Lindo were also among the group’s members.

With Marley at the center, the later lineup released seven more albums and recorded songs including “Stir It Up,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff” and “War.” Marley died from cancer in 1981, and the group disbanded that year.