Bunny Wailer and His Legacy

Yo Ho, WeRCatz here.

We have recently lost a legend in reggae: Bunny Wailer. Original member and fellow founder of The Wailers, he formed the band with Peter Tosh and Bob Marley in 1963.

The Wailers sound was influenced and styled by gospel music and Curtis Mayfield although ska was the basis of the band. As the popularity of The Wailers grew, so did the production value and musicianship with Wailer providing the lyrics to some great hits like “Searching For Love,” “Trod On,” “Pass It On” and others. After producer Chris Blackwell suggested that The Wailers move into the Freak Scene, Wailer left the band in 1973 to pursue a solo career.

Bunny’s first album, Blackman Heart, was a hit in 1976. He also worked in dancehall music and made a name for himself. He continued to make roots music and stayed true to the Rastafarian faith with his work. He won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album three times. He also was awarded the Order of Jamaica and the Order of Merit, Jamaica’s fifth and fourth highest honors respectively.

This is an artist that will be surely missed worldwide.