4 Love and Success

CHAPTER 4 Love and Success By 1964, Bob, Bunny, and Tosh were known in Trench Town simply as the Wailers. But there was one very important person who hadn't met them yet. His name was Coxsone Dodd. Coxsone Dodd was famous in Jamaica. He produced nearly all the hit songs that played on the radio. He was also the founder of Studio One, the first black-owned recording studio in Jamaica. Studio One was on Greenwich Park Road, just a few blocks from Bunny's house.

One day, Bob and the band heard some very good news: Coxsone was holding auditions for new bands at Studio One every Sunday. So in the summer of 1964, the Wailers went to audition. When the band arrived, they were led to the backyard of the studio. Under a mango tree, the Wailers played five songs. The last song they played was called

"Simmer Down." Bob wrote "Simmer Down" as a warning against street violence: Simmer down, oh, control your temper Simmer down, for the battle will be hotter... Coxsone stopped the band before they could finish their last song. "Okay, that one: Come tomorrow and we'll record that one," Coxsone said. So they did! Coxsone made sure the song was played on the radio. People loved it! Everyone in Kingston knew about the dangers of Trench Town. Listeners understood the

warning in the song. The recording of "Simmer Down" sold nearly eighty thousand copies! The Wailers spent the rest of 1964 at Studio One recording their first album. Because Bob still didn't have a home of his own, Coxsone let him sleep there, too. Coxsone became like a father to Bob. When days were hard, he reminded him, "Now, young man, be strong. Think. You can make music. Write. Sing." He helped Bob stay focused on his music and kept him from getting discouraged.

Many of Coxsone's friends were Rastafarians. They shared their thoughts about the world and their spiritual beliefs with Bob. Bob agreed with their ideas about peace and justice, but he carefully considered what he was told. Would he give up the Christian faith he had learned as a child? Bob often walked the streets thinking about new songs he was eager to record. But one day, someone

distracted him. A young woman named Rita Anderson lived down the street from Studio One, on Greenwich Park Road. Rita was a local girl with a great voice. Bob watched Rita singing in her window as he walked by. Rita saw Bob, too.