List of Bob Marley and the Wailers band members

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.

Bob Marley and the Wailers performing at Crystal Palace, London (1980)

Members

Official members

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)	vocals congas bongos
	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)	drums percussion
	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	1974–1975 1978–1981	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)

Touring members

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

Session musicians

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Hugh Malcolm	1967–1972	drums percussion
	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		synthesizer clavinet organ
	Chris Karen		percussion
	Winston Wright
	Bernard "Touter" Harvey		piano organ	Natty Dread (1974)
	Nathaniel Ian Wynter aka Natty Wailer		keyboards	Rastaman Vibration (1976) Exodus (1977)
	Vin Gordon		saxophone	Kaya (1978)
	Glen Da Costa		trumpet saxophone	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

Timeline

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