Bunny Wailer's Biography

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Neville O'Riley Livingston was born 1947, April 10, in Kingston, Jamaica.
Neville lived with his father (Thaddius Livingston) in Nine Mile, Jamaica. He attended the Stepney School. It was there that Neville and Robert Nesta Marley became friends.

Neville and his father moved to Kingston, Jamaica in 1952. Neville's father and Robert's mother were both single parents. In Kingston they lived together and had a daughter (Claudette "Pearl" Livingston).

Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, Winston Hubert "Peter" McIntosh, Neville O'Riley "Bunny" Livingston and Franklin Delano Alexander "Junior" Braithwaite learned breath control, harmony techniques, music theory and songwriting from Jamaican singer / arranger / composer Joe Higgs. Higgs gave free music lessons at his yard on Third Street in Trench Town, Jamaica. He was a devout rasta.
Bob, Peter, Bunny, Junior, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Green joined to start "The Teenagers" vocal group in 1963. The group was renamed "The Wailing Rudeboys", "The Wailing Wailers" and last "The Wailers".
Bunny left The Wailers temporary in 1967. He was arrested and sentenced to 14 months in prison for marijuana possession.
Bunny rejoined The Wailers in 1968, September.

The Wailers signed a deal with Chris Blackwell's Island Records and recorded the album "Catch A Fire" in 1972. "Catch A Fire" was the first international Reggae album.
Bunny left The Wailers in 1973. He refused to tour outside of Jamaica.
Bunny started his solo career.
Bunny started the "Solomonic" label in 1973.
Bunny and Peter recorded the songs "Bide Up" and "Fighting Against Conviction" for Bunny's "Blackheart Man" album.
Bunny, Peter and Bob recorded a new version of The Wailers' song "Dreamland" for Bunny's "Blackheart Man" album.

Peter, Bunny, Junior and Vision recorded songs for The Wailers' "The Never Ending Wailers" album in 1984.
Bunny toured outside of Jamaica for the first time (since 1973) in 1986.
Bunny, Junior and Vision performed the song "Together Again" at the Madison Square Garden in 1986.

Bunny performed at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival for the first time in 1990.
Bunny's "Time Will Tell: A Tribute To Bob Marley" album won the 1990 Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 1991.
Bunny's "Crucial! Roots Classics" album won the 1994 Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 1995.
Bunny's "Hall Of Fame: A Tribute To Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary" album won the 1996 Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 1997.