Bunny Wailer, founding member of the Wailers and Jamaican reggae legend, has died

Jamaican singer and percussionist Bunny Wailer, reggae legend, died Tuesday at the age of 73 at Andrew's Memorial Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, Jamaica Culture Minister Olivia Grange said in a statement Tuesday.

The minister did not specify the cause of death of the founding member of the group The Wailers with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, who made reggae a global phenomenon.

First album in 65

Real name Neville Livingston, the musician suffered a first stroke in 2018, then a second in July 2020. He was the last survivor of the historic trio.

Born in 1947 in Nine Mile, in the north of Jamaica, Bunny Wailer met there, since childhood, Bob Marley, with whom he befriended.

Later, her father would become the companion of Bob Marley's mother.

They will move to Trench Town, a district of Kingston, where they will be influenced by their meeting with Joe Higgs, considered by many to be the "father of reggae", who will encourage them to form a first trio with Peter Tosh.

The group changed their name several times, before releasing their first album in 1965, "The Wailing Wailers".

It marks the emergence of a sound, with a devilish rhythm, marked by American music, in particular R&B, but also by Jamaican culture.

Decisive role in the evolution of reggae

A charismatic character, always wearing a beard and a hat, follower of the principles of the Rastafarian religious movement, Bunny Wailer plays a decisive role in the development of this musical identity.

The Wailers will release several more albums before starting their collaboration with producer Chris Blackwell.

The founder of the Island Records label will significantly change the sound of the group, to give it a more electric sound likely to please, according to him, a more international audience.

Bunny Wailer will be on "Catch a Fire" and "Burnin '" albums, which will turn reggae into a major musical movement.

But he will then leave the group, as will Peter Tosh, tired of a role of Bob Marley's foil in which he felt locked up.

He will then launch his solo career with the album "Blackheart Man", considered today as a classic of the genre.

During the 1990s, he received three Grammy Awards, the awards of the American music industry, including two for the reggae album of the year.