One Love: Aston Barrett Jr on keeping the Wailers' legacy alive
Aston Barrett Jr is cool like the other side of the pillow. It's a genetic thing. His maternal grandfather, Joe Higgs, was known as the 'Godfather of Reggae'. His father, Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, who passed away last year, was band leader of The Wailers. Barrett Jr's uncle, Carlton 'Carly' Barrett, was also a long-time drummer in the band.
Barrett Jr answered the call himself early. 'My father came to my high school graduation, and my graduation gift was to go on tour,' says Barrett Jr. 'My dad was like, 'Okay, you're gonna apply for Berkeley School of Music, but go to Berkeley after you have some experience on tour.' So, that's where it started. I remember it didn't feel overwhelming because my father, the original, was there so I had him as my guide. He was Solomon.'
In 2009, Barrett's first year of touring with the band, The Wailers put in a memorable Sunday afternoon performance at Electric Picnic, the ideal medicine for weary festivalgoers. He recalls the cold, the greenness of the landscape, and the hospitality of people towards him on that first visit to Ireland.
'I remember going to the park in Dublin,' he says, 'and there was so many kids and people walking freely. Then I went into the bar. I don't drink really, but sometimes in those days, I'd drink. Out of nowhere, this guy went, 'Hey, how are you? You want a beer?' and he bought me a Guinness. I'm like, man, I love this place. It's just fun, everyone singing. Every time I go, the experience is always high.'
'Family Man' retired from The Wailers in 2016. He handpicked his son, Barrett Jr, to take on the band leader mantle even though he was only 26 years' old. Learning how to deal with the old guard was Barrett Jr's biggest challenge.
'When I took over the band I brought a lot of members that played with Bob, such as Tyrone Downie, Donald Kinsey, Junior Marvin, back,' he says. 'My dad warned me: 'Every one is a star. It's not gonna be easy. When I run it, I keep everyone in check, but they gonna look at you like you're my son.'
'I was like, 'It's OK. I got it down.' But he was right! They gave me so much trouble. It was so much ego. I had to deal with it. Sometimes if you don't stand your ground, everyone's gonna roll all over you. I had to learn the hard way.'
It worked out fine. In 2017, Barrett Jr won a Grammy Award for his work as a co-producer with Damian Marley on The Struggle Discontinues track from the Stony Hill album. In 2020, he produced and co-wrote The Wailers' Grammy-nominated album One World.
When Barrett Jr. took charge of The Wailers, he also recalled the band's legendary sound engineer, Dennis Thompson, an inspiring cat who shared priceless stories from The Wailers' touring back in the day.
'In 1976,' says Barrett Jr., 'The Wailers were on the Rastaman Vibration tour. As they came outside their dressing room, there was a bunch of police waiting for them. The police is like, 'What what are you guys singing about, 'Rasta don't work for no CIA'?' 'Every single time the police would check them, they never had weed because they were smart. They never travelled with weed. They always made sure that the weed found them.'
Barrett Jr was cast in the role of his father in the Bob Marley: One Love biopic, which came out in 2024. It was a part that came easy to him. 'I lived with my dad. I knew his every movement,' he says.
He adds, recalling a bind the band got in touring England in 1979: 'My dad and Bob got arrested. I heard it was comedy in the court. Each time the judge asked my dad a question, my dad is like, 'Yes. Well, you know, I might have had it, or I might not have had it.' Bob was like, 'Y'all, you need to answer this question. Just answer the question!' Every one started laughing. My dad was like that – he spoke in parables. You could never figure him out. So, what happened is each time the judge asked my dad a question, Bob ended up answering for him, 'Yes, your honour.' 'No, your honour.' Even the judge had to laugh from what I heard.'
The Wailers will perform at Dublin's Vicar Street (Tuesday, July 1) and Cork's Cyprus Avenue (Wednesday, July 2). See www.cyprusavenue.ie
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