From humble beginnings growing up in the impoverished island of Jamaica, the nucleus of the Wailers - Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh - turned to music at an early age. Music not only provided the boys with a creative form of expression, but also offered them their best chances for rising out of poverty. The Wailers' sound and energy, bound together by artistic and spiritual integrity, was fostered during their teens.

Before becoming professionals, Bob, Bunny, and Peter, along with other area youths learned the finer points of music performance from Joe Higgs, a devout Rasta. From his home on Third Street, Higgs offered free music clinics. Higgs used the clinics as an opportunity to help motivate the youth by teaching them harmony techniques, breath control, music theory, and songwriting.

At the age of sixteen, Bob's first taste of the music business, while attracting some attention with his songs, "One Cup of Coffee" and "Terror," ended bitterly. In 1961 Bob broke off his relationship with Leslie Kong, after the producer failed to pay him money for songs he recorded for his Beverley label. Despite the bitter experience, Bob decided to take the next step forward by forming a group with Bunny and Peter, along with Junior Braithwaite and back up singers Beverley Kelso and Cherry Smith, calling themselves The Teenagers which became The Wailing Rudeboys,then The Wailing Wailers.

They eventually shortened the name to The Wailers, which represented more than their style of singing. The name also reflected the pain and anguish the boys felt deep within their souls while growing up in Trench Town. "The word 'wail' means to cry or to moan," said Peter Tosh later. "We were living in this so-called ghetto. No one to help the people. We felt we were the only ones who could express their feelings through music, and because of that, people loved it. So we did it."