Bunny Wailer book - Old Fire Stick
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 20:20:56 -0600
(MDT)
From: Papa Pilgrim
<pilgrim@xmission.com>
Subject: NEWS:
Demystifying another Reggae Great (fwd) Sender:
owner-raw@po.databack.com
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Newsgroups:
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Subject: NEWS: Demystifying
another Reggae Great
Demystifying
another Reggae Great
KINGSTON, (Sep. 22)
IPS - Unlike Peter Tosh and Bob Marley, his colleagues in the Wailers, Bunny
Wailer is known as a man of few words, but a long-awaited autobiography on one
of reggae's moodiest performers is likely to clear up the mystery that has
shrouded his career.
"Old Fire Sticks,"
the autobiography of Neville Livingston -- known worldwide as Bunny Wailer or
Jah B -- is reportedly in its final stages, according to Roger Steffens,
co-author of the book.
"With Peter and
Bob no longer with us, the true history (of the Wailers) resides solely in the
brain of Bunny," said Steffens. "Luckily for all true Wailers fans, Bunny tells
everything about their history together."
While no completion date has been set
for "Old Fire Sticks," Steffens disclosed that work on the book is winding down
after nearly 10 years.
"It is in the
final stages, but there is no release date," said Steffens. "There will have to
be several weeks of working with Bunny before we can submit to
publishers."
"Old Fire Sticks" is built
around 64 hours of interviews Steffens and fellow reggae historian Leroy Jodie
Pierson conducted with Wailer, now 52, back in 1990 in Kingston. Steffens
revealed that those discussions have been transformed into an 1,800-page
transcript.
Steffens, whose Los Angeles
archives contain the biggest collection of Wailers memorabilia in the world, has
written extensively on reggae's best known group but has a special affinity for
the Wailer project, having written liner notes for several of the singer's
albums.
Pierson is also known for his
work in the blues scene in the United States. After years of studying the blues,
he discovered reggae, which he has researched since
1980.
Together, Steffens and Pierson have
written a book the former believes will shed new light on Wailer, whose
controversial antics have made him one of reggae's enigmatic
figures.
Marley, who died in 1981 from
cancer, has been the subject of much documentation through books and visual
programs. The compilation "Legend" album, which showcases some of his most
potent songs, recently topped sales of 10 million
units.
Tosh was murdered in 1987 at his
Kingston home. The most outspoken and controversial of the trio, his career has
been enjoying new life in recent years, thanks to the re-issuing of albums such
as "Equal Rights" and "Legalize It."
In
August, "Red X," the documentary on his life, was aired on VH1, the popular
American cable television channel.
Besides critically-acclaimed albums like
"Blackheart Man" and "Rock 'n Groove," not much is known of Bunny outside music
circles.
Like Tosh and Marley, he was
born in rural Jamaica but moved to Kingston before he was a
teenager.
Wailer and Marley lived in the
same tenement as boys and by the time they were teenagers in the early 1960s,
they had met the gangly Tosh and formed the Wailers which was to have a string
of hit songs as a ska group.
Following
the release of "Burning," the group's second album for Island Records, Wailer
and Tosh left for solo careers.
Wailer
refused to tour. But it was those tours that earned Marley and Tosh strong
followings in Europe, Asia and to a lesser extent, the United
States.
Instead of touring, Wailer
released a host of strong albums and songs that have made him a cult figure
internationally. But Wailer has never been far from
controversy.
Critics have blasted him for
exploiting Marley's name by releasing two albums of Marley songs since his
colleague's death. Both have won Grammy
Awards.
In 1990, he was unceremoniously
booed from the stage of a Kingston show, an incident that made international
headlines. In 1998, he was sued by the promoters of the Toronto Jazz Festival
for failing to perform even though he was paid prior to the
event.
Wailer has also had a long-running
feud with the Marley estate over royalties from merchandise from Tuff Gong, the
company he started with Tosh and Marley. This matter was resolved recently when
he was awarded $2 million in royalties by the company handling Tuff Gong's
affairs.
As interest in his work
continues to mount, Wailer has put his refusal to tour behind him and has
performed in the United States as well as Europe and
Asia.
"Old Fire Sticks" may be another
step in demystifying Bunny Wailer.
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Posted: Thu - February 13, 2003 at 04:34 PM