Bob Marley’s backing band during his major international career was the Wailers.
Bob Marley and the Wailers developed from the vocal group the Wailers, formed in Jamaica in the early 1960s by Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. As the group’s sound expanded, instrumental musicians became central to the band, including bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett and drummer Carlton Barrett. The international band was commonly billed as Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the group in the 1970s, after which Marley continued with a larger ensemble sometimes called the Wailers Band. Female backing vocalists known as the I Threes also became an important part of the stage sound. Because the name covered different lineups over time, references to “the Wailers” may mean either the original vocal trio or Marley’s later touring band.