“This is a great loss for Jamaica and for Reggae,” said
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, calling him “a respected elder
statesman of the Jamaican music scene.”
Wailer’s given name was Neville O’Riley Livingston but he
was known affectionately as Bunny Wailer, Bunny Livingston or Jah B. He came
from Trench Town, a poor inner city community of Kingston that went on to
inspire one of the Wailers’ hits.
The Grammy-award winning songwriter and percussionist met
Marley and Tosh at a young age and the trio formed the Wailers in 1963. Nearly
a decade later, the group was signed by producer Chris Blackwell’s Island
Records, which lead to their fifth, now classic album, “Catch a Fire” and
international fame.
Credited with popularizing reggae music, the Wailers toured
the world and had several hit songs in the ska and rocksteady styles, including
“Simmer Down,” “Lonesome Feeling,” and “Thank You Lord.”
Along with Tosh, Livingston eventually left the group to
became a solo artist, while Marley began touring with new band members as Bob
Marley and the Wailers.
Bunny Wailer recorded 10 albums, winning Grammys for Best
Reggae Album for “Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley” in 1991, “Crucial!
Roots Classic” in 1995, and a tribute to Bob Marley in 1997. As a solo artist,
his hit songs included “Cool Runnings” and “Bald Head Jesus.”
He received several of Jamaica’s highest honors, including
the Order of Merit and the Order of Jamaica.
In recent years, the father of 13 suffered several strokes.
He died on Tuesday after being hospitalized since December for his latest
stroke, according to the culture ministry.
His wife, Jean Watt, went missing in May 2020. Her
whereabouts remain unknown.
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