Wailers bassist loses Marley royalties action

ASTON ‘Family Man’ Barrett, bass player in Bob Marley’s band The Wailers, failed yesterday in his battle for a multimillion-pound slice of the late reggae legend’s royalties.

Barrett, who with his drummer brother, Carlton, is credited with having invented the reggae beat which swept the world, was seeking up to £60 million (€88m) he claimed he was owed since Marley died aged 36 in 1981 without making a will.

But London High Court judge Mr Justice Lewison threw out the claim against Universal-Island and the Marley family and imposed an order barring Barrett from taking further action without court consent.

Barrett now faces legal costs approaching £2m (€2.9m) and must sell his two homes in Jamaica.

Barrett, now 60 and reputedly the father of 52 children, claimed Marley promised the band members equal shares of album royalties.

But the judge agreed with Island-Universal and the Marley family that Barrett surrendered rights to further royalties in a 1994 settlement worth several hundred thousand dollars.

After the ruling a Marley family statement said: “Aston Barrett has persisted in this hurtful and extremely expensive claim which was actually settled in 1994. The family of Bob Marley is delighted that the claim has now been rejected in full.”