With today being OG wailer and reggae icon Bob Marley’s 75th birthday, it’s a boss move from Bluesfest to drop this announcement today. The band, featuring longtime guitarist Donald Kinsey on guitar, will be performing a set of songs from the Marley record Legend, the second longest charting record on the Billboard Album Chart with a whopping 992 weeks, second only to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon.
Peter Noble OAM, the director of Bluesfest, celebrated the iconic act in a statement released today, saying “When Bob Marley was on his deathbed, he enshrined The Wailers to make a solemn oath to keep playing his music live for as long as they were physically able. Bob Marley’s Wailers, as they were known have continued to do just that for over 30 years honouring their leader. They continue to do that faithfully to this day, and still have three members in the band, and on stage nightly who were there with Bob, who faithfully direct newer members in the way Bob would have wanted his music to be played. Come experience a night of magic at Bluesfest. To release this news on what would have been this great legend’s 75th birthday is a bit of magic in and of itself and portends a great performance that will become a Bluesfest legendary show for years to come”.
Check out the full Byron Bay Bluesfest lineup below. We’re almost certain that these guys aren’t done announcing acts yet, so make sure you keep your eyes and ears peeled for more news shortly.
Byron Bay Bluesfest 2020
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – CROWDED HOUSE – ALANIS MORISSETTE
LENNY KRAVITZ – PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND
GEORGE BENSON -KOOL & THE GANG – THE GIPSY KINGS
GUY SEBASTIAN – BRANDI CARLILE – JOHN BUTLER – XAVIER RUDD
THE CAT EMPIRE – ALLEN STONE – MORCHEEBA – DWEEZIL ZAPPA – TORI KELLY
ANI DIFRANCO – JENNY LEWIS
JOHN PRINE – BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE
TROY CASSAR-DALEY – THE WAIFS – YOLA – LP
THE WATERBOYS – EAGLES OF DEATH METAL – ZUCCHERO
JIMMIE VAUGHAN – JOHN MAYALL – CHAIN
LARKIN POE- THE MARCUS KING BAND
CHRISTONE ‘KINGFISH’ INGRAM – FRANK TURNER
CORY HENRY & THE FUNK APOSTLES – ASH GRUNWALD
THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND – WALTER TROUT
THE WAR & TREATY – AMADOU & MARIAM
ERJA LYYTINEN – TAL WILKENFELD
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS
JOACHIM COODER
STEVE ‘N’ SEAGULLS
Head to the Bluesfest website for more details today.