Bob Marley

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Bob Marley apartment in London

Haile Selassie in full dress

Bob-Marley-in-Concert Zurich 05-30-80

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Denis Bourez - Madame Tussauds, London (8748151558)

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Bob Marley - Statue - Kingston - Jamaica

Bob Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and musician. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by blending elements of reggae, ska, and rocksteady, as well as forging a smooth and distinctive vocal and songwriting style. Marley's contributions to music increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide, and made him a global figure in popular culture for over a decade.

Early life

Robert Nesta Marley was born on 6 February 1945 in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, to Norval Sinclair Marley, a white Jamaican originally from Sussex, England, and Cedella Booker, an Afro-Jamaican. The disparity in his parents' social and racial backgrounds provided a complicated cultural heritage for Marley, which influenced his future music.

Career

Marley's musical career began in 1963 with the formation of The Wailers, a group he started with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. The Wailers' early music was based on ska and rocksteady, but in the late 1960s, as they encountered the Rastafari movement, their music and lyrics took on a more spiritual and socially conscious tone. Marley's music was heavily influenced by his Rastafarian beliefs, and he became an outspoken proponent of Rastafari, peace, and unity.

In 1974, after the disbandment of The Wailers, Marley pursued a solo career that culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977, which established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world's best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records. Hits from this period include "No Woman, No Cry", "Jamming", "Exodus", and "One Love".

Death and legacy

Bob Marley died on 11 May 1981 in Miami, Florida, at the age of 36. The cause was melanoma, which had spread to his lungs and brain. His final words to his son Ziggy were "Money can't buy life." Marley received a state funeral in Jamaica, which combined elements of Ethiopian Orthodox and Rastafarian tradition.

Marley's music was a key factor in the spread of Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement worldwide. He is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience. His legacy is one of peace, love, and resistance against oppression, and his music continues to influence numerous artists across various genres.

Discography

• Catch a Fire (1973)
• Burnin' (1973)
• Natty Dread (1974)
• Rastaman Vibration (1976)
• Exodus (1977)
• Kaya (1978)
• Survival (1979)
• Uprising (1980)

Awards and honors

Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. In December 1999, his 1977 album Exodus was named Album of the Century by Time magazine, and his song "One Love" was designated Song of the Millennium by the BBC. He was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.

See also

• Reggae
• Rastafari movement
• The Wailers