Wailing Blues: The Story of Bob Marley's Wailers

Book excerpt: This full-blooded story of The Wailers puts the life, music and death of the legendary Bob Marley into a razor-sharp new perspective. The Wailers played with Marley on all of the hit singles and albums that made him a legend, yet their story since his death is a little-known saga of betrayal, greed and murder that is told here in its entirety for the first time. Written in collaboration with Aston 'Family Man' Barrett and other surviving band members, the book explores Marley's colourful journey from downtown Kingston onto the world stage. It covers the assassination attempt on Marley's life, his exile in London, the kidnapping and decapitation of the Barretts' father, and the death by gunfire of both Peter Tosh and drummer Carlton Barrett. Bitter acrimony followed Marley's own death from cancer as the iconic singer's legacy was parlayed into a multi-million dollar industry.