Bunny Wailer, founding member of reggae group 'The Wailers', passes away at 73

Bunny Wailer, who was the last surviving member of the acclaimed reggae group The Wailers, died on Tuesday in his native Jamaica. He was 73. Affectionately known in his home country Jamaica as "Jah-B", he was a devout Rastafarian. He created memorable tracks as a Reggae artist like Blackheart Man with his fellow group members; the late Bob Marley and late Peter Tosh. Bunny Wailer was noted to be the crucial voice that introduced Reggae to the world in the early '70s. 

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Bunny Wailer dead at age of 73 (1947-2021)

Bunny Wailer was a baritone singer whose birth name is Neville Livingstone. Bunny formed 'The Wailers' in 1963 with late artists Bob Marley and Peter Tosh during the time they lived in a slum of the capital Kingston. The trio rose to worldwide fame with the release of the album Catch A Fire which also popularised the Rastafarian culture among the better off Jamaicans beginning from the 1970s. Brian Paul Welsh, a local reggae musician known as Blvk H3ro said that "Jah-B" was an inspiration, always pushing the boundaries of expression in his songs, both in style and words. 

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According to Observer Online, Wailer's manager Maxine Stowe said that Wailer died at Andrews Memorial Hospital in the Jamaican parish of St. Andrew of complications from a stroke in July last year. His manager did not state the cause of his death. Fans of the reggae artist have mourned his loss worldwide as they shared his music, memories and pictures and other memorabilia. 

Jamaica politician Peter Phillips wrote in a Facebook post saying, “The passing of Bunny Wailer, the last of the original Wailers, brings to a close the most vibrant period of Jamaica’s musical experience." “Bunny was a good, conscious Jamaican brethren,” he added.

Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, also expressed his tribute to Wailer calling him a "respected elder statesman of the Jamaican music scene,” in a series of tweets. He further wrote, "This is a great loss for Jamaica and for Reggae, undoubtedly Bunny Wailer will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture." Take a look at the series of tweets here.

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More about Bunny Wailer's legacy in Reggae music

Bunny Wailer formed The Wailers with his childhood friends Bob Marley and Peter Tosh in 1963 when they were just teenagers. They belted out hits like Simmer Down and Rude Boy as they were eventually known as "The Beatles of Jamaica". The Wailer's 1973 album Catch A Fire set a standard for a new Jamaican sound called "Reggae". In 1976, Wailers left the group to work on his solo debut Blackheart Man which he himself produced on his own label Solomonic. He made his New York City debut at Madison Square Garden with a stellar opening act that represented Jamaica's cultural history. His fellow group members Bob Marley died in 1981 of a brain tumour at 36 years old while Tosh was fatally shot dead in Jamaica in 1987 at 42 years old. Bunny won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album thrice, two of which were tributes to Bob Marley.

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