The Wailers are known to many fans as the band that performed with cultural icon Bob Marley, traveling the globe and selling hundreds of millions of albums during reggae music’s heyday.

It may be miles that separate me from the man on the other side of the line, but his message is clear, especially when he starts to sing. The newest voice of The Wailers, the iconic band that once backed Bob Marley, is on the phone, and I’ve been pre-warned by his publicist that I might not understand his thick Jamaican accent.

“Is this love, is this love, is this love, is this love that I’m feeling?” Most likely yes, or it’s the thick haze of smoke, patchouli and body odor getting to your head. Lovers of all kinds flocked Sunday night to Bluebird Nightclub for The Wailers, Bob Marley’s former back-up band.

The Wailers band has been injected with new life. The addition of Koolant, the new lead singer of the legendary band, has been notable.
Known around the world, in the main for its association with Bob Marley, The Wailers in England alone have notched over 20 hits on the charts. With Marley, the Wailers have sold in excess of 250 million albums worldwide.

A rare opportunity to experience reggae legends’ The Wailers occurred at Newport, Kentucky’s Southgate House on June 22. Bass player Aston “Family Man” Barrett still has those wicked improvisational chops that drove the band during their 1972-1974 peak as evidenced on the throbbing intro to “Heathen.” “Natural Mystic” was propelled by Anthony Watson’s strong command of the backbeat on drums. Audley Chisholm’s rhythm guitar scratches provided an essential layer to the Wailers’ overall sound, and he connected with Keith Sterling’s keyboard runs on “Concrete Jungle,” “Kinky Reggae” and “Soul Rebel.”

There is no shortage of questions that someone with pop-music curiosity would want to ask Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Bob Marley’s bass player and musical collaborator from the late 1960s until Marley’s death in 1981.

After partnering with the United Nations’ World Food Program two years ago and creating the I Went Hungry campaign, the seminal reggae band has continued to donate the unused funds from their hospitality riders (the things an artist requests from the venue or promoter on the day of the show). Aston “Familyman” Barrett, bassist and one of the original Wailers, says, “We’ve been at it over two years now and we make a lot of income for them from charity shows and we sell things at our merchandise stands, like T-shirts that say ‘I Went Hungry.’ We love it. We love to help people globally, trying to save lives.”

“As the pit filled in excitement, noise and the thick smell of ganja hung heavily in the air at the Senator Theatre, as fans waited in adrenaline-charged anticipation for The Wailers and 311 to take the stage.”....

“When reggae bands Keyser Soze and The Wailers took the stage at the Grand Sierra Resort on Saturday, they turned the concept of performance into an experience. Fans of all ages came together for an evening of harmony, dancing and music.”...

“Nobody seemed to mind the wait much once The Wailers made it out onto the stage.  They came out with a solid one-drop rhythm and vibed instrumentally for a few minutes before the singers joined in. The groove was heavy. Just before the singers came onto the stage, a Bob sample was played of him speaking with a different audience from years ago, but the audience in attendance was still eating up every word as if Bob himself was there. In many ways, he was”...

After some stoners decided to light up at a Ziggy Marley concert last August on the Del Mar Fairgrounds, parents in attendance complained to officials who later took action to ensure a more family-friendly environment.

He speaks slowly and with a voice as deep as the bass grooves for which he’s famous.  Methodical ... contemplative ... serene. All are hallmarks of a spiritual leader, which is what Aston “Family Man” Barrett is these days. More so than a musician, he’s the keeper of the flame—the man who carries a torch for his old friend, reggae legend Bob Marley, and still holds it aloft for the rest of the world to see.  “This, this is everything to me,” Barrett told The Daily Times this week. “That’s why I came up with that name—‘Family Man’—because I’m everything from the bandleader to the bass player to the musical arranger to the producer. I’m the on who put the band together ...

There are still a few recession-proof jobs out there these days: grocery store worker, tax lawyer and, apparently, membership in legendary reggae band the Wailers.  “I really did not think that all our shows would be sold out,” lead singer Elan Atias said about the band’s current tour by phone from Los Angeles this week. “I can count on one hand (the ones) that didn’t.” ...

A lot has been said about bands that retain their name years after the height of their primary popularity, despite sporting a lineup that nowhere near resembles the original. Lynyrd Skynyrd, for instance, has taken heat over their ever-bending “Rule of Three,” which states that the band must contain three survivors of the infamous 1977 plane crash in order to use the name, though these days only one presently remains in ther band. It gets even stickier when you bring the Wailers, who played the Carolina Theatre on Saturday, into the discussion ...

Itʼs the kind of story a Hollywood studio would find too far-fetched to green-light:  An obscure teenager who has never so much as done a song at an open-mike night is recruited to replace one of the most beloved and important musicians in the history of pop music.  Crazy, no? Maybe, but also absolutely true.  Meet Elan Atias, who in 1996 became lead singer of the Wailers, the group reggae titan Bob Marley fronted until his 1981 death from cancer. The Wailers - including sole original member bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett - headline tomorrow at Trump Taj Mahal ...