BIOGRAPHY.
Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley on 6 February 1945.He was a Jamaican singer,songwriter and musician.Considered one of the pioneers of reggae,his musical career was marked by fusing elements of reggae,ska,and rocksteady,as well as his distinctive vocal and songwriting style.
EARLY LIFE
Born in Nine Mile,Saint Ann Parish,British Jamaica to father Norval Sinclair Marley and mother Cedella Malcolm.Norval was a white Jamaican originally from Sussex.He was a Captain in the Royal Marines at the time of his marriage to the then 18yr old afro-Jamaican Cedella Malcolm.Bob Marley attended Stepney Primary and Junior High school.
In 1955 at the age of 70,Bob’s father Norval died of a heart attack.Bob and his mother moved to Trenchtown in 1957 and soon Bob found himself in a vocal group with Bunny Livingston Wailer,Peter Tosh,Beverly Kelso and Junior Braithwaite.
CAREER BEGINNINGS
In 1963 Bob, Bunny,Peter,Beverly, Kelso and Cherry Smith were called “The Teenagers”.They later changed their band name to to “The Wailing Rudeboys“,then to “The Wailing Wailers“,at which point they were discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd.They soon found themselves working with well-established Jamaican musicians.
By 1966 Braithwaite,Kelso and Smith had left the Wailers,leaving the core trio of Bob,Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh.
In 1966 Bob married Rita Anderson and briefly lived and worked near his mother’s residence in Wilmington,Delaware in the United States,under the alias Donald Marley.Though Bob was raised as a Catholic,Marley became interested in Rastafari beliefs in the 1960s,and after returning to Jamaica from the United States away from his mother’s influence,Marley formally converted to Rastafari and began to grow dreadlocks.
At the turn of the 1960s Marley approached producer Leslie Kong,who was regarded as one of the major developers of the reggae sound.Between 1968 and 1972 Bob and Rita re-cut some of their old tracks in an attempt to commercialize the Wailers sound.Bob wanted to break into the U.S charts.
In the early to mid 1970s Bob recorded the album “CATCH A FIRE”, released in April 1973,which marked the first time a reggae band had access to a state-of-the-art studio. The album was packaged like a rock record and had more of a drifting,hypnotic-type feel than a reggae rhythm.”CATCH A FIRE” was followed later by the album “BURNIN” released in October 1973,which included the song ‘I Shot The Sheriff‘.
“BURNIN” album was well received by the Jamaican reggae fans unlike the “CATCH A FIRE” album.After doing four of their scheduled 17 shows in the USA,the Wailers band was fired because they were more popular than the acts they were opening for. The Wailers disbanded in 1974,with each of the three main members pursuing a solo career.
In 1975 Marley had his international breakthrough with his first hit outside Jamaica,No Woman No Cry from the Live! album,followed by his breakthrough album in the United States,Rastaman Vibration (1976) which reached the Top 50 of the Billboard Soul Charts.
On 3rd December 1976,Marley,his wife and manager Don Taylor were wounded in an assault by unknown gunmen inside Marley’s home.The attempt on his life was thought to have been politically motivated.
Bob spent two years in a self-imposed exile in England,where he recorded the albums EXODUS and KAYA.Exodus stayed on the British charts for 56 consecutive weeks.
In 1978 Marley returned to Jamaica and performed at the One Love Peace Concert,in an effort to calm warrying political parties.
Under the name Bob Marley and The Wailers 11 albums were released(four live albums and seven studio albums).
UPRISING(1980) was Marley’s final studio album and is one of his most religious productions,it includes ‘Redemption Song’ and ‘Forever Loving Jah’
ILLNESS AND DEATH
In 1977 Marley was found to have a type of malignant melanoma under the nail of a toe but Marleu turned down his doctor’s advice to have his toe amputated,citing religious beliefs.Despite his illness he continued his touring schedule.His last concert was at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh,Pennslyvania on 23rd September 1980.His health deteriorated and after landing in a Miami hospital for medical attention,Marley succumbed and died on 11 May 1981 aged 36.The spread of melanoma to his lungs and brain caused his death.Marley received a a state funeral in Jamaica on 21 May 1981.
CHILDREN
Bob had 9 or 11 children with four different women according to sources.They are Sharon,Cedella,David’ziggy’,Stephen,Rohan,Karen,Julian,Ky-Mani and Damian.
LEGACY
Bob is an International Icon and Symbol for Peace,Love and Unity.
Internationally,Marley’s message of One Love continues to reverberate across the world.Marley evolved into a global symbol,which has been endlessly merchandized through a variety of mediums i.e Books.
Several film adaptations have evolved as well i.e the documentary REBEL MUSIC which won various awards at the Grammys.
Several streets and roads have been named after Bob Marley,and statues inaugurated in his honor.His love for Cannabis and football have also been a topic of interest over the years.
Compiled by : Kevin Mulati
References : SpectaculaR Virtual Library📚
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