Both Marley and Bunny were attracted to the unusual music that they hear from an American radio station, which they could pick up. The station played the latest songs by such artists as Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Brook Benton and Curtis Mayfield. But Marley and Bunny paid extra attention to the black vocal groups the Drifters who were really popular in Jamaica. When Marley quit school he only had one ambition, to be come a musician. Even though he worked in a welding shop, Marley spent all his free time with Bunny, perfecting their vocals. They were help out by one of Trenchtown's famous singer Joe Higgs who held informal lessons for aspiring vocalists in an apartment block yards. It was at one of these jamming sessions that Marley and Bunny met Peter (peter Tosh) McIntosh, another youth with big musical ambitions.

Marley auditioned for Leslie Kong a music entrepreneur. Leslie was impressed by Marley vocals and he was recorded his first single "Judge Not" it did not get much attention and nor did his other singles such as ‘Terror’ and ‘one cup of coffee’. However Marley still wanted to become a musician. Marley soon left Kong after he failed to pay him.

Marley had hooked up with Bunny, Tosh and some other friend who were Junior Braithwaite and two back-up singers, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith and they became ‘The Teenagers’ which they soon changed to 'The Wailing Wailers'. Their Rastafarian hand drummer Alvin Patterson introduced the group to Clement Dodd a record producer. In Kingston they auditioned for Dodd and he agreed to record them.

At this time in Jamaica ska was the hot new dance floor music, which had a distinct back beat.

The Wailing Wailers released their first single, 'Simmer Down', in the last weeks of 1963, which was produced by Coxsone label.

'Simmer down' had reached  No1 in the Jamaican charts by January and stayed there for 2 months. The Wailing Wailer was hot stuff. Because simmer down caused such a fuse, that they started to record for Dodd (Coxsone Studio One Company) all the time.

Over the next few years The Wailing Wailer released about thirty singles, which made then well known in Jamaica. Some of the tracks were “ Let him go (rude boy got gail)”, “Dancing shoes” and “What am I to do”. Even though they were popular they did not have the money to keeping the group together, which resulted in three members leaving, they were Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith. Marley married Rita Anderson on 10 February 1966 after they when to America for 18 months.

Marley was more and more drawn towards Rastafari. In 1967 Marley's music reflected his new faith. Marley joined up with Bunny and Peter to re-form the group, which was renamed again to become “The Wailers”.
Marley wife Rita had started a singing career, which she had a big hit with "Pied Piper " a cover of an English pop song.

Jamaican music was changing. From the bouncy ska beat to a slower, more sensual rhythm called rock steady.

As The Wailers now commitment to Rastafarianism this brought them into some conflict with Dodd Coxsone who wanted a ska group, but The Wailers wanted to be a rock steady group so they left and formed there own record label. Which was called Wail 'N' Soul. Even with a few early successes such as "Bend Down Low" the label folded in late 1967.

The group survived by writing songs for a company which was connected to the American singer Johnny Nash who, had an international smash hit with Bob Marley's "Stir It Up". The Wailers also met Lee Perry. When Perry and The Wailers joined together they produced some of the best music the band ever made. With tracks such tracks as "Soul Rebel", "400 Years" and "Small Axe" which were not only classics, but also pointed The Wailers into the direction of reggae.

Two new members joined the Wailers, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett (bass) and his brother Carlton (drums). They were Perry's studio band that had work with the group to produce there best even music. The Wailers were known throughout the Caribbean, but internationally The Wailers were still unknown. As they were becoming more successful in Jamaica The Wailers decided to form another recorded label called tuff Gong after a nickname of Bob Marley.

In the summer The Wailers met Johnny Nash. Marley was invited to go with him to Sweden and Europe Marley accepted. While he was in London he got a recording deal with CBS, which was also Nash’s, recording in company. Marley recorded The Wailer next single ‘Reggae on Broadway’

The rest of The Wailers arrived in London to help promote their new single, but when then arrived in London they found that they were out of money and stuck in Britain.

With no other option Marley went into Island records Basing Street Studios and asked to see Chris Blackwell the boss, to see if he could get a record deal. Blackwell (had already hared of the group) gave them a deal and an advance them of £4000 to produce their first album. They fly back home to start recording their new album.

Later that year their first album was released called ‘Catch a fire’, which was heavily promoted and was not an instant hit but it made a big impact on the media. Island records arranged for The Wailers to do a complete tour both Britain and America.

The Wailers started their 3-month club tour around Britain. When they had finished the tour the group went back to Jamaica and Bunny refused to go on the U.S tour. So there former teacher local singer Joe Higgs replaced him and The Wailers continued with the tour. The U.S tour drew full houses. There was some show where The Wailers were support act for the young Bruce Springsteen. There was such demand on the autumn tour that Island records arranged seventeen dates for The Wailers to be the support to Sly & The Family Stone who were the No1 band in black American music. But only 4 show in and The Wailers were taken off the tour because they were too good to support the bands. The Wailers were detracted the attention from the main act (Sly & The Family Stone). After The Wailers were taken off the tour they made their way to San Francisco where they broadcast a live concert on the unique rock radio station, KSAN. The Wailers also released their second Island album ‘Burnin’ that included new versions of some of their older songs such as 'Duppy Conqueror’, ‘Small Axe’ and ‘Put It On’. Some new one such as 'Get Up Stand Up' and 'I Shot The Sheriff ’.

Marley spent most of his time in the studio working on the their third album ‘Natty Dread’.

Their new album ‘Natty Dreads’ was released February with songs such as ‘No Woman No Cry’ (which was their first UK top 40 hit), ‘So Jah Seh’, ‘Revolution’ and ‘Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)’ Bunny and Peter had quit the group in 1975 and were going to start their own solo careers (as Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh) then band was re-named again to Bob Marley & The Wailer. In the summer, the group was on the road again.

Bunny and Peter's gone and they were replaced by the I-Threes. (The female trio that included Marley’s wife Rita, Marcia Griffith and Judy Mowatt) The group had two concerts at the Lyceum Ballroom in London, even now they are remembered as one of the highlights of that decade.

The two shows at Lyceum Ballroom were recorded and later become the ‘Live’ album with the song such as ‘No Woman No Cry’. Both album and  their singles made the charts. Bob Marley & The Wailers were taking reggae into the mainstream. In November the group returned to Jamaica to play a benefit concert with Stevie Wonder

‘Rastaman Vibration’ was released and cracked the American charts. The album showed Marley’s religious beliefs with such tracks as ‘Crazy Baldhead’, ‘Johnny Was’and ‘Who the Cap Fit’.Maybe most significantly of all, ‘War’ Which Marley had taken the lyrics from a speech made by Emperor Haile Selassie. Marley had decided to hold a free concert at Kingston's National Heroes Park on December 5. This was to stress the need for peace in the slums in the cities where warring gangs had brought chaos and murder.

Two day before the concert, some gunmen broke into Marley's house and shot him. The would-be assassins, thankfully only wounded Marley. He was taken to a safe house in the hills surrounding Kingston. He was not going to perform at the concert but he did. On December 5 Marley went on stage played a couple of set, as an insult to the gunmen. Immediately after the concert Marley left for Britain and would not return to Jamaica for 18 months

Marley lived in London where he recorded his next album ‘Exodus’. Exodus was released in the summer, which gave the group international status.

Exodus stayed in the UK charts for 56 consecutive weeks the three singles ‘Exodus’, ‘Waiting in Vain’ and ‘Jammin’ were also big hits. Bob Marley & The Wailers played a week of concerts at London's Rainbow Theatre in their last dates in the city.

Bob Marley & The Wailers toured Europe and America. They recorded some of the show, which produced their second live album ‘Babylon By Bus’ with song like ‘stir it up’ and ‘kinky reggae ’. Bob Marley & The Wailers also broke new ground by playing in Australia, Japan and New Zealand, which made them known internationally.

‘Survival’ Marley’s ninth album for Island Records was released in that summer 1979. Which included ‘Zimbabwe’, ‘So Much Trouble In The World’, ‘Ambush In The Night’ and ‘Africa Unite’. ‘Survival’ was an album of pan-African solidarity.

At the end of 1979 Marley visited Africa for the first time and was only going to Kenya and then to Ethiopia the spiritual home of Rastafarian.

Bob Marley & The Wailers went to Gabon where they wanted to make their African debut. But the Group discovered that they were playing in front of the country's young elite. The next time they went to Africa they had an official invitation. They were to play at the Zimbabwe Independence Ceremony in April. Marley later commented that it was the biggest honour of his life.

In May there next album ‘Uprising’, was released. The album was an instant hit with the single, ‘Could You Be Loved’ which was a massive worldwide seller. Uprising also included ‘Coming In From the Cold’, ‘Work’ and with a surprising closing track, ‘Redemption Song’.

It was not long before the group started there the major European tour. The tour included a 100,000-capacity crowd in Milan, which was the biggest show in the band's history. Bob Marley & The Wailers where the best group on tour that year and ‘Uprising’ hit every chart in Europe. As the album did so good in Europe there was a winter American tour arranged where they would accompany Stevie Wonder. At the end of the European tour they went to American

They played two show at Madison Square Garden. After Marley was taken seriously ill.

Even thou Marley’s health was getting bad he still went on tour. The group started at Boston after that New York. During the New York show Marley looked awful and he almost past out. On 21st September he collapsed while jogging in central park in New York.

Apr-Jul 1973   Catch a Fire Tour    (England, USA)

Oct-Nov 1973     Burnin' Tour      (USA, England)

Jun-Jul 1975   Natty Dread Tour   (USA, Canada, England)

Apr-Jul 1976    Rastaman Vibration Tour    (USA, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, France, England, Wales)

May-Jun 1977     Exodus Tour    (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England)

May-Aug 1978   Kaya Tour   (USA, Canada, England, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium)

Apr-May 1979  Babylon by Bus Tour   (Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii)

Oct-Dec 1979   Survival Tour   (USA, Canada, Trinidad/Tobago, Bahamas)

Apr 1980   Zimbabwe Tour   (zimbabwe)

May-Sep 1980     Uprising Tour     (Switzerland, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, USA)