The Wailers formed in 1963 in Kingston. In the beginning, the band consisted of Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Cherry Smith, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso and their most famous member, Bob Marley.
The group released their first record, "The Wailing Wailers," in 1965. It's more of a ska album than reggae, with elements of rock steady, a dance genre between reggae and ska.
In 1970, the Wailers teamed with legendary producer Lee "Scratch" Perry to record "Soul Rebel," the first album the group would release outside of Jamaica.
In 1972, the Wailers began recording "Catch a Fire," its first major label release, for Island Records. The album was released in 1973 to great acclaim and is regarded as a classic.
Also in 1973, the Wailers released "Burnin," which featured the classics "Get Up, Stand Up" and "I Shot the Sheriff." This was the last album to feature Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who went on to start their own solo careers. After their departure, the group would be known as "Bob Marley and the Wailers."
Bob Marley led the remainder of the group through six more studio albums and several live records before Marley succumbed to melanoma in late 1980 and died in 1981 at age 36.