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.
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) |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Joe Higgs | 1973 | | none |
| Lee Jaffe | 1974–1975 | harmonica |
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 |
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