List of Bob Marley and the Wailers band members explained

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.

Members

Official members

Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
Bob Marley	1963–1981		all releases
Peter Tosh	1963–1974		all releases from The Wailing Wailers (1965) until Burnin' (1973)
Bunny Wailer	1963–1974
Junior Braithwaite	1963–1964	vocals	The Wailing Wailers (1965)
Cherry Smith		backing vocals
Beverley Kelso	1964–1965
Constantine Walker	1966		none
Aston Barrett	1970–1981		all releases from Soul Rebels (1970) until Confrontation (1983)
Carlton Barrett	1970–1981
Earl Lindo
Tyrone Downie	1974–1981
Rita Marley	1974–1981	backing vocals
Marcia Griffiths
Judy Mowatt			all releases from Natty Dread (1974) until Confrontation (1983)
Al Anderson		lead and rhythm guitar
Alvin Patterson	1975–1981	percussion
Earl "Chinna" Smith	1975–1976		Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Donald Kinsey	1975–1976		Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Junior Marvin	1977–1981		all releases from Exodus (1977) until Confrontation (1983)

Touring members

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

Session musicians

Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
Hugh Malcolm	1967–1972
Alva "Reggie" Lewis		guitar
Glen Adams		keyboards
Robbie Shakespeare		bass guitar	Catch a Fire (1973)
Wayne Perkins		lead guitar
John "Rabbit" Bundrick
Chris Karen		percussion
Winston Wright		percussion
Bernard "Touter" Harvey			Natty Dread (1974)
Nathaniel Ian Wynter aka Natty Wailer		keyboards
Vin Gordon		saxophone	Kaya (1978)
Glen Da Costa
David Madden		trumpet
Val Douglas		bass	Survival (1979)^[1]
Mikey "Boo" Richards		drums	Survival (1979)^[1]
Carlton "Santa" Davis		drums	Confrontation (1983)
Devon Evans		percussion
Ronald "Nambo" Robinson		trombone

Line-ups

Period	Members	Releases
c. 1964	Bob Marley – vocals Peter Tosh – vocals Bunny Wailer – vocals Junior Braithwaite – vocals Beverley Kelso – backing vocals
c. 1965	Bob Marley – vocals Peter Tosh – vocals Bunny Wailer – vocals Beverley Kelso – backing vocals Cherry Smith – backing vocals
c. 1966	Peter Tosh – vocals Bunny Wailer – vocals Constantine Walker – backing vocals Rita Marley – backing vocals
1966–1970	Bob Marley – vocals Peter Tosh – vocals Bunny Wailer – vocals Rita Marley – backing vocals
1970–1972	Bob Marley – vocals, guitar Peter Tosh – vocals, guitar Bunny Wailer – vocals, percussion Aston Barrett – bass guitar Carlton Barrett – drums
1973	Bob Marley – vocals, guitar Peter Tosh – vocals, guitar Bunny Wailer – vocals, percussion Earl Lindo – keyboards Aston Barrett – bass guitar Carlton Barrett – drums
1974	Bob Marley – vocals, guitar Peter Tosh – vocals, guitar Bunny Wailer – vocals, percussion Tyrone Downie – keyboards Aston Barrett – bass guitar Carlton Barrett – drums
1974–1975	Bob Marley – vocals, guitar Rita Marley – backing vocals Judy Mowatt – backing vocals Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals Al Anderson – lead guitar Tyrone Downie – keyboards Aston Barrett – bass guitar Carlton Barrett – drums Alvin Patterson – percussion
1975–1976	Bob Marley – vocals, guitar Rita Marley – backing vocals Judy Mowatt – backing vocals Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals Earl "Chinna" Smith – guitar Donald Kinsey – lead guitar Tyrone Downie – keyboards Aston Barrett – bass guitar Carlton Barrett – drums Alvin Patterson – percussion
1977	Bob Marley – vocals, guitar Rita Marley – backing vocals Judy Mowatt – backing vocals Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals Junior Marvin – guitar Tyrone Downie – keyboards Aston Barrett – bass guitar Carlton Barrett – drums Alvin Patterson – percussion
1978–1981	Bob Marley – vocals, guitar Rita Marley – backing vocals Judy Mowatt – backing vocals Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals Junior Marvin – guitar Al Anderson – guitar Tyrone Downie – keyboards Earl Lindo – keyboards Aston Barrett – bass guitar Carlton Barrett – drums Alvin Patterson – percussion

Notes and References

Book: Steffens . Roger . Bob Marley And The Wailers - The Definitive Discography . Pierson . Leroy Jodie . Rounder Books . 2005 . 1-57940-120-1 . 116 . 6 October 2017.