Celebrating a Wailer
BUNNY Wailer has a lot to show for his over 50 years in the music business. On Sunday, he decided to share some of his ‘treasures’ with the public.
Mementos belonging to the legendary singer/songwriter, his father, and The Wailers were unveiled at the Wailers, Museum: Celebrating The Life and Legacy of Bunny Wailer in Washington Gardens, Kingston.
His manager, Maxine Stowe, expects the museum to be officially open to the public by October.
The museum is situated at the house once owned by his father, Thadeus “Taddy Shut” Livingston who died on April 10 (Wailer’s birthday) in 1991. Wailer, 70, said his father would appreciate the walk down memory lane.
“Him choose to leave this world on my ‘earthstrong’ an’ did so with a smile. So, whenever I celebrate this day (April 10) I also do so for him,” Wailer told the Jamaica Observer.
The opening was attended by members of his family, including daughters Tamara and Sasha, his son Asadenaki, and grandson Mark.
Artistes who turned out included Wailer’s contemporary Stranger Cole, his nephew Dre Tosh (grandson of Peter Tosh), Capleton and Fred Locks.
Photos, original album covers, and a registration document acknowledging a change in their Tuff Gang company to Tuff Gong, are some of The Wailers pieces on show at the museum.
Wailer’s awards, including three Grammys, his boyhood bamboo guitar, and a gramophone that belonged to his father, are also displayed.
Along with Tosh and Bob Marley, Wailer was an original member of The Wailers, which formed as a ska group in Trench Town during the early 1960s.
They recorded for various producers before signing with Island Records in 1972. The following year, they released two landmark albums — Catch A Fire and Burnin’.
In 1974, Wailer and Tosh left the group to pursue solo careers. Marley died from cancer in May 1981 at age 36. Tosh was murdered at his St Andrew home in September 1987 at age 42.
The Bob Marley Museum opened at Hope Road in St Andrew in 1987. Last October, the Peter Tosh Museum was launched at nearby Trafalgar Road.
Source:jamaicaobserver.com
