This story originally appeared in the Centre County Gazette.
Don’t worry about a thing Centre County. Every little thing is gonna be all right when reggae band The Wailers, with special guest star Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root Uprooted Trio, performs this weekend at the Tussey Mountain Amphitheatre.
The Wailers will perform at “A Bob Marley Celebration” presented by Rich Engler on Sunday, June 23, at 3 p.m., with doors opening at 2 p.m. The concert kicks off the new Happy Valley Music Series at Tussey Mountain, presented in part by The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
Bob Marley and The Wailers originated in Jamaica in the early 1960s, gaining international recognition for their reggae music which spread messages of social justice, love and unity.
Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston formed the original group, which would become Bob Marley and The Wailers. However, prominent members joined and left the group throughout the first few years of the band’s development.
Aston Barrett, often referred to as “Family Man,” played bass for the band alongside his brother, Carlton Barrett, who played drums. The nickname “Family Man” came from Barrett himself, who played a fatherly role, guiding the group as The Wailers’ band leader. However, Barrett’s fatherly role for the band took on a new form when his son joined alongside him.
Aston Barrett Jr. grew up learning from his father, who invited him to join the band on tour when he graduated from high school. In 2009, Barrett Jr. officially joined The Wailers before taking over running the band in 2016 when his father retired.
“He taught me everything that I know, and that’s the truth,” Barrett Jr. said. “And with everything that he taught me, with all the knowledge he taught, the history of knowing the instrument, knowing how it is supposed to be played, knowing what it’s supposed to do, I have to carry it on. The music is very important to carry on. The legacy has saved so many people. So I feel it’s my duty, because he taught me.”
Music has been a part of Barrett Jr.’s life from a young age. He learned to play the bass from his father, then proceeded to learn drums and the organ, crediting some of the early members of Bob Marley and The Wailers, like Tyrone Downie, for his mastering of the instruments. Learning from the legends gave him insight into the impact music has on people and a community.
“Just growing up in the islands, you know, the sunshine, the beach, the food, the people in the Rasta community and how they respect each other, themselves, their children, their loved ones, they respect women, they respect men, you know, and just the nature of life, that inspired me,” Barrett Jr. shared. “I realized that reggae music is music people use to share what they have to say through the music, saying that, yeah, we might be going through things, but we still want to be positive.”
Getting to travel to different places for music, like Centre County, Barrett Jr. explained, allows the music he loves to touch people and have an impact. The music is meant for all people, he shared — those who were there when it began and those who have yet to hear it.
“We say, Bob Marley and The Wailers music has no category. It is not old and is not new. It’s just there. It’s music that excites the spirit, the soul in every human,” he said. “That’s the music that we represent. So people that have never heard it before, they’re gonna love it, because once they hear the music and how it makes them feel, it’s gonna put them almost in a trance.”
And for Barrett Jr., sharing the music is a responsibility he is grateful to be a part of.
In February, Aston “Family Man” Barrett died, leaving behind a legacy Barrett Jr. will continue through the music.
“Carrying on my father’s legacy is preserving the music. Making sure the music is properly played and properly keeping it the right way that it’s supposed to be so it can reach people around the world. Bob Marley said, ‘The music will get bigger and bigger until it finds the right people,’ and it’s gonna continue to find the right people in every way, shape and form,” Barrett Jr. shared.
“When my father retired, and he was there, he would come to shows at times. Just to see his face of how proud he was, it gave me more strength, every time. And you know, he’s gone now, but he’s not really gone. He’s still here spiritually. Anything I do, the respect of him is always the highest. I use him to do everything that I do.”
Barrett Jr. also further solidified his father’s legacy by playing him in the recently released “Bob Marley: One Love” movie, sharing that he’s already seen the movie seven times and plans on watching it again soon.
“They did such a great job. I wish it was longer. I’m such a fan of it. The production was great. And the music was fabulous. It definitely portrayed everyone good,” Barrett Jr. shared. “I was able to put his legacy into the movie.”
That legacy will carry on this weekend when The Wailers arrive in Centre County for their performance. Tickets are available online or by phone at 800-965-9324. General admissions tickets for the performance are $40 and a limited number of upfront viewing tickets are available for $50. Parking is $10, cash only.
