Bunny Wailer

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Lore & Background

Born in Kingston on 10 April 1947, Bunny spent his earliest years in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, where he first met a young Bob Marley. Both boys came from single-parent families; Livingston was primarily raised by his grandmother, while Marley was raised by his mother Cedella Booker. Their bond deepened when Wailer's father later lived with Cedella in Trenchtown, resulting in a half-sister named Pearl. Peter Tosh also became family, having a son, Andrew Tosh, with Bunny's sister Shirley. In 1962, Bunny attempted to audition for Leslie Kong at Beverley's Records but missed it due to being late from school. By 1963, he formed "The Wailing Wailers" with Marley and Peter Tosh, joined by Junior Braithwaite and Beverley Kelso. While Bunny sang lead less frequently than his peers initially, the departure of Marley in 1966 saw him step up on tracks like "Who Feels It Knows It," "I Stand Predominate," and "Sunday Morning." His style was deeply influenced by gospel and Curtis Mayfield, leading to recordings like "This Train" at Studio One in 1967. After an 18-month prison sentence for cannabis possession that same year, he signed exclusive deals with JAD Records and Cayman Music.

In Their Own Story

By the late 1960s, Bunny contributed carefully crafted, literary lyrics to the group's repertoire while maintaining key harmonies. He sang lead on "Dreamland," a cover of El Tempos' "My Dream Island" that became his signature song, as well as "Riding High," "Brainwashing," and the bridge of "Keep On Moving." In 1971, he recorded "Pass It On," which he claimed to have written in 1962; this version featured different lyrics later reused in "Innocent Blood." By 1973, each founding member operated their own label: Marley with Tuff Gong, Tosh with H.I.M. Intel Diplo, and Bunny with Solomonic. He recorded singles like "Searching For Love," "Life Line," and a new version of "Pass It On" for his label. However, as international success focused on Marley, Bunny and Tosh became marginalized. When producer Chris Blackwell requested the group tour American freak clubs, Bunny balked, citing Rastafari principles against such venues. This principled stand led him to leave The Wailers in 1973. He adopted the name "Bunny" for his solo career, focusing on roots reggae with political and spiritual messages. His album Blackheart Man was widely regarded as one of reggae's highest peaks.

Reader's Guide

After leaving The Wailers, Bunny experimented with disco on Hook Line & Sinker and reworked group classics on Bunny Wailer Sings the Wailers, backed by Sly and Robbie at Harry J Studio. He composed Marcia Griffiths' hit "Electric Boogie" in 1982, which sparked the "Electric Slide" dance craze in 1986; he recorded his own versions but with less success. His solo work often featured dancehall and rockers influences alongside traditional roots styles. Bunny won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album three times: in 1991 for Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley, in 1995 for Crucial! Roots Classics, and in 1997 for Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary. He also appeared on Toots and the Maytals' True Love, which won a Grammy in 2004. His career faced a low point in 1991 at the Portmore Sting event when he was driven off stage by bottles from an audience preferring newer dancehall artists like Ninjaman and Shabba Ranks. Honors followed later: he received the Order of Jamaica in August 2012, the Order of Merit (the nation's fourth-highest honour) in October 2017, and a Pinnacle Award from the Coalition to Preserve Reggae in November 2019. A blue plaque honoring him, Marley, and Tosh was placed at London's former Basing Street Studios in October 2019.

Did You Know?

• Bunny Wailer missed his first audition for Beverley's Records in 1962 because he was late getting out of school.
• Peter Tosh is Bunny Wailer's brother-in-law, having fathered Andrew Tosh with Bunny's sister Shirley.
• He left The Wailers in 1973 primarily because he refused to tour internationally due to his Rastafari beliefs and objections to commercialization, not specifically because Chris Blackwell wanted them to tour American fre
• Bunny composed the hit "Electric Boogie" for Marcia Griffiths in 1982, which later inspired the famous "Electric Slide" dance—though the dance itself was created by Ric Silver in 1976 to a different song.
• He suffered a minor stroke in October 2018 and died on 2 March 2021 from complications of a second stroke in July 2020.