He was a percussionist, nicknamed “Seeco” and also occasionally using the pseudonym “Francisco ‘Willie’ Pep”, born Francisco Willie in Havana, Cuba, who emigrated with his family to Jamaica while still young. He performed mento music in the 1950s as a member of ensembles that played mento-calypso music and with the artist Lord Flea.
In the 1960s he tutored The Wailers in rhythm vocals before they had started recording and alerted the owner/producer Clement “Sir Coxsone” Dodd of Studio One to them. During their audition he played congas to accompany their successful bid for a contract and his first recording with them was on the 1967 “Lyrical Satirical”.
He became a full-time member of The Wailers Band in the mid 1970s. With them he saw success on hits such as “Buffalo Soldier”, “Could You Be Loved”, “One Love”, “Redemption Song”, “Three Little Birds” and “Jammin’” among many others. He still performed with The Wailers Band after Bob Marley passed away in 1981, featuring on their 1991 album Majestic Warriors and working with the Canadian Reggar artists, Andru Branch.
He appeared on countless albums with a few of them being Babylon by Bus, Exodus, Kaya, Natty Dread. Survival and Uprising by Bob Marley & The Wailers and the DVD Legend by Rick Wakeman.
He retired in 1990 he partially retired following a severe brain haemorrage. He passed away in his sleep 31 years later in 2021 at University Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica when he was 90 years old.
Bob Marley & The Wailers recordings
Could You Be Loved (Bob Marley )
Island WIP 6610-A (UK 45)
One Drop (Bob Marley )
Island WIP 6610-B (UK 45)
Redemption Song (Band Version)(Bob Marley )
Island: WIP 6653-B ( UK 45 PS)
Sources:
- http://www.mentomusic.com/wailers.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Patterson
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3zfrxqrald6e~T4
- http://www.myspace.com/halfwaytree
- http://www.wailers.nl/alvinpatterson.htm
- http://www.maltajazzfest.com/The-Wailers.html
- http://thekingofreggae.free.fr/lyrics/lyricalsatirical.html