Bunny Wailer: Jamaican reggae music legend dies aged 73

Tuesday, March 02, 2021 at 9:52 PM by Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah Aba Afful

- Bunny Wailer was born in 1947 in village of Nine Mile in St. Ann Parish where he spent most of his childhood

- The three-time Grammy award winner was the only remaining member of The Wailers after the death of Marley and Peter Tosh

- Some of his mega hits included Boderation, Blackheart Man, Protest and Time Will Tell among many others

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The only surviving founding member of the reggae band The Wailers, Bunny Wailer has breathed his last.

Bunny Wailer performing. Photo: Getty Images.
Source: Getty Images

The celebrated reggae legend was pronounced dead on the morning of Tuesday, March 2, Jamaican time according reports from the Caribbean island.

The Jamaican Observer which broke the news of Wailer's demise confirmed the Boderation hit maker died while receiving treatment at the Medical Associates Hospital in Kingston.

He died aged 73.

"Yes. He died about 8:00 this morning. I'm still right here with him," his manager Maxine Stowe said.

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Born as Neville O'Riley Livingston in 1947 before adopting the famous moniker, Wailer spent most of his childhood days in the village of Nine Mile in St. Ann Parish.

It was at Nine Mile where he met the late reggae musician Bob Marley and the two developed friendship that spanned over two decades.

Bob died in May 1981.

The three-time Grammy award winner was the only remaining member of The Wailers after the death of Marley and another member Peter Tosh who was killed in 1987 during a home invasion.

Some of his mega hits included Boderation, Blackheart Man, Protest and Time Will Tell among many others.

In 2017, the Jamaican government awarded him the country's fourth highest presidential honour.

He was again feted with a reggae gold award by the same government in 2019.

Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley in 1991, Crucial! Roots Classics in 1995 and Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley’s 50th Anniversary in 1997. all of which scooped Grammys as best reggae album.