Bunny Wailer

Bunny Wailer was the last surviving member of the trio that formed the core of reggae's most celebrated group, the Wailers. Born Neville Livingston, he grew up in the village of Nine Mile and befriended Bob Marley as a child. (Marley's mother and Bunny's father also had a child together.) Their auditions eventually brought them to producers Leslie Kong and Joe Higgs; the latter introduced them to a third young musician, Peter Tosh. They were christened the Wailers (sometimes the Wailing Wailers) in 1962; with the core trio sometimes joined by shorter-time members (including backup singers Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith). 1964's landmark "Simmer Down" began their string of Jamaican hits, as the group evolved from ska to the soul- and spirit-driven sound known as reggae. Bunny's harmonies were largely responsible for the gospel flavor in their vocals, and he would occasionally be featured on a spiritually-themed number. "Dreamland"-- originally an obscure doo-wop tune by the El Tempos-- because his best-known Wailers number, released as a single in 1966 and then recut with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1971. In 1973 the group signed to Island and released their US debut Catch a Fire; this and the followup Burnin' are considered reggae classics, though reggae's commercial success in America was still a few years away. They also marked the end of the original Wailers, as Bunny and Tosh both dropped out in 1973-74. Causes ranged from business dealings to the members' unwillingness to perform for cross-dressing audiences in glittery London. Bunny launched his solo career with his most-praised album, Blackheart Man. Steeped in Rastafarian spirituality, the album included some topical songs ("Fighting Against Conviction" was about his earlier arrest for marijuana), and featured a reunion with Tosh and Marley on "This Train." Though he became known for spiritual roots reggae, he also experimented with more commercial styles, making the disco-influenced album Hook Line & Sinker in 1982 and embracing the Jamaican dancehall trend with Rule Dance Hall five years later. After the deaths of Marley and Tosh, Bunny was widely embraced as one of reggae's founders, and won the Grammy for best reggae album three times during the '90s, two of which were for Bob Marley tribute albums. He made a rare U.S. tour in 2016, performing all of Blackheart Man for the album's 40th anniversary. However in October 2018 he suffered a stroke that affected his ability to sing. Bunny Wailer died March 2, 2021 at the age of 73.