Reggae icon Bunny Wailer was reportedly in the hospital after missing his Fort Lauderdale concert Friday night.
After waiting for Wailer’s status, opener Big Harvest made the announcement that the 69-year-old was in the hospital running tests and to please pray for him. The Hollywood reggae band played instead for around 40 minutes. Customers were refunded their ticket money, and emailed a notice Saturday morning, citing the event was canceled.
Around 10:30 p.m., an ambulance was seen outside the show at the Culture Room, but when asked about its presence, a man taking tickets at the door said a “wasted” woman had fallen and hurt herself.
Close to two hundred fans were in attendance, a wide range of reggae lovers, including the old-school-long-locked Rastas, fresh-faced organic hippies and surfer boys. Many trickled out after the announcement
Wailer, born Neville O’Riley Livingston and affectionately known as Jah B, is the last original surviving member of The Wailers. Together with Bob Marley, the band has sold more than 250 million albums worldwide, according to their website. Going solo since 1976, the singer-writer and percussionist released 29 albums on his own.Wailer made pop culture news in 2013, when he accused snoop Dogg of appropriating reggae as “Snoop Lion,” calling the rapper’s reggae album “Reincarnated” and documentary “fraudulent.”
The last time Bunny Wailer played South Florida was September of 2009, headlining the Dubfest at the ArtsPark in Hollywood. This year, he was on a North American tour, starting in April in San Francisco and ending on Sunday in Atlanta, over 19 days and 16 cities.