10-04-2020, 15:48
Neville O’Riley Livingston, aka Bunny Wailer, was born on this day in 1947, in Kingston, Jamaica.
One of the original Wailers, along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. By the time it got to Natty Dread, he’d left the band and gone solo over differences related to his Rastafari beliefs, and, I suspect, having to share the limelight with Marley who was on the receiving end of a lot of attention at that point while both Bunny and Peter Tosh had been having to take a back seat.
Chris Blackwell (Island Records), who pretty much singlehandedly introduced Reggae to the Western world, wanted them to tour ‘freak’ clubs in the USA and Bunny wasn’t too happy about that either - I expect they were tame in comparison to what’s out there now, but then again – who knows!! (Incidentally, and completely off on a tangent, Chris Blackwell owns a resort in Jamaica called Golden Eye which previously belonged to Ian Fleming – go figure - who was, until his death, Blackwell’s mother Blanche’s lover.)
A respected Reggae musician in his own right, as well as having dabbled in disco, dancehall and rock, Bunny Livingston, or Jah B as he is sometimes known, is a vocalist and percussionist, and one of the now two Wailers still living. He has earned three Grammy Awards during his career, (ironically, several Marley tributes) from which he is now retired, having suffered a stroke a little while ago.
From the last album he made with The Wailers – Burnin’ - he wrote this song and takes the lead vocal … “Pass It On” …
One of the original Wailers, along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. By the time it got to Natty Dread, he’d left the band and gone solo over differences related to his Rastafari beliefs, and, I suspect, having to share the limelight with Marley who was on the receiving end of a lot of attention at that point while both Bunny and Peter Tosh had been having to take a back seat.
Chris Blackwell (Island Records), who pretty much singlehandedly introduced Reggae to the Western world, wanted them to tour ‘freak’ clubs in the USA and Bunny wasn’t too happy about that either - I expect they were tame in comparison to what’s out there now, but then again – who knows!! (Incidentally, and completely off on a tangent, Chris Blackwell owns a resort in Jamaica called Golden Eye which previously belonged to Ian Fleming – go figure - who was, until his death, Blackwell’s mother Blanche’s lover.)
A respected Reggae musician in his own right, as well as having dabbled in disco, dancehall and rock, Bunny Livingston, or Jah B as he is sometimes known, is a vocalist and percussionist, and one of the now two Wailers still living. He has earned three Grammy Awards during his career, (ironically, several Marley tributes) from which he is now retired, having suffered a stroke a little while ago.
From the last album he made with The Wailers – Burnin’ - he wrote this song and takes the lead vocal … “Pass It On” …
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson