Biography
Renowned as Jamaican music’s foremost female vocal ensemble, the I-Threes assembled as the trio of Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, and Judy Mowatt. From 1974 onward they supplied the layered harmonies that defined Bob Marley’s stage shows and studio work, remaining at his side until his passing a decade later.
Marcia Griffiths had already achieved stardom through her celebrated duets with Bob Andy, most notably the internationally recognized “Young, Gifted and Black.” During one such session she asked Mowatt—formerly of the Gaylettes—and Marley to add their voices, an encounter that crystallized the group’s identity. The spontaneous chemistry of that recording prompted Griffiths to invite both women onstage that same night as special guests during her scheduled performance with Andy at the House of Chen in New Kingston.
Following the exit of Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston from the Wailers, Marley recruited the three singers for his track “Jah Live,” initiating a partnership that lasted the next ten years. In early 1975 the I-Threes accompanied Marley on tour, serving as the opening act for the Jackson Five. Although they occasionally reunited after Marley’s death, the women soon turned their focus to individual careers.
Marcia Griffiths had already achieved stardom through her celebrated duets with Bob Andy, most notably the internationally recognized “Young, Gifted and Black.” During one such session she asked Mowatt—formerly of the Gaylettes—and Marley to add their voices, an encounter that crystallized the group’s identity. The spontaneous chemistry of that recording prompted Griffiths to invite both women onstage that same night as special guests during her scheduled performance with Andy at the House of Chen in New Kingston.
Following the exit of Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston from the Wailers, Marley recruited the three singers for his track “Jah Live,” initiating a partnership that lasted the next ten years. In early 1975 the I-Threes accompanied Marley on tour, serving as the opening act for the Jackson Five. Although they occasionally reunited after Marley’s death, the women soon turned their focus to individual careers.
Albums