While reggae singer-songwriter Bob Marley rightfully receives most of the accolades for his series of releases with his band The Wailers, the resulting recordings may have sounded very different had it not been for bassist Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett (and his brother, drummer Carlton Barrett). Born on November 22, 1946, in Kingston, Jamaica, Aston Barrett was heavily influenced by soul music as a child and became fascinated by the bass guitar. He built his own bass, taught himself how to play, and became a session musician for local studios. Eventually, he and his brother were recruited by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, who added them to his studio backing band The Upsetters. In the 1960s, the Upsetters began to back a group called The Wailers, which featured singers / musicians Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and Bob Marley. In 1970, the band recruited the Barrett brothers and added them to the Wailers’ line-up. After several albums under The Wailers name, the group was signed to Island Records, who provided them cash and better recording equipment. However, he felt that Bob Marley should be the focal point of the group and encouraged them to change the name to Bob Marley and the Wailers. Beginning with 1973’s Catch a Fire, the group became the biggest reggae band in the world and achieved further success with albums such as Burnin’ (1973) and Natty Dread (1974). By the mid-‘70s, internal pressures led to the departure of Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, and Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett became the group’s arranger, band leader, and he co-produced their albums. Her earned his nickname Family Man because he became a father figure to the rest of the group. He continued to play a major role in The Wailers’ sound on albums such as Rastaman Vibration (1976), Exodus (1977), Kaya (1978), Survival (1979), and Uprising (1980). He remained an integral part of the group until Bob Marley’s death in 1981. Aston Barrett worked with a variety of other groups – Barrett All Stars, The Hippy Boys, Family Man All Stars, and others – and released several albums under his own name including the compilations Familyman in Dub (1999), Cobra Style: Productions from The Wailer’s Musical Director (1999), Legendary Wailers in Dub (2003), and Soul Constitution: Instrumentals & Dubs 1971 – 1982 (2018) and others. However, his work with Bob Marley and The Wailers is what he will be best remembered for. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 from Bass Player Magazine. In 2021, he was made a Commander in the Order of Distinction, one of Jamaica's highest honors, for his services to music. Aston Barrett died of heart failure on February 3, 2024, at the age of 77.
