Tribute to the legendary Bob Marley | ACRM UTECH

Published: Thursday  | February  6, 2020 | Shavonie L. Turner  

“Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end”. Bob Marley

As we celebrate Black History Month, today February 6, 2020 marks the birthday of the great Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley. Born Robert Nesta Marley, he served as a world ambassador for reggae music and sold more than 20 million records throughout his career. Marley would have been 75 years old today.

Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in Nine Miles, Saint Ann, Jamaica, to Norval Marley and Cedella Booker. His father was a Jamaican of English descent. His mother was a black teenager.

Bob Marley pictured performing

                                                                                    King of Reggae

Proclaimed and accepted worldwide as the ‘King of Reggae’, Bob Marley charted his own course in the music industry with passion and creativity as a songwriter, singer and performer. He successfully transcended three Jamaican musical genres from the 1960’s through to the early 1980’s - Ska, Rock Steady and Reggae – his most influential musical form. And, after almost three decades since his death, his music is still relevant to millions of people across the globe.

               

Bob Marley journey in the industry
Bob Marley started his career with the Wailers, a group he formed with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston in 1963. Marley married Rita Marley in February 1966, and it was she who introduced him to Rastafari. By 1969 Bob, Tosh and Livingston had fully embraced Rastafari, which greatly influence Marley's music in particular and on reggae music in general. 

Christopher “Chris” Blackwell an English businessman and former record producer, and the founder of Island Records, signed the Wailers and produced their first album, "Catch a Fire". This was followed by "Burnin'", featuring tracks as "Get Up Stand Up" and "I Shot the Sheriff." Eric Clapton's cover of that song reached #1 in the US. In 1974 Tosh and Livingston left the Wailers to start solo careers. Marley was joined later in the band by his wife Rita and two other backup singers Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths called the I-Threes. This period saw the release of some groundbreaking albums, such as "Natty Dread", "Rastaman Vibration".

Exodus

In 1976, during a period of spiraling political violence in Jamaica, an attempt was made on Marley's life. Marley left for England, where he lived in self-exile for two years. In England "Exodus" was produced, and it remained on the British charts for 56 straight weeks. This was followed by another successful album, "Kaya." These successes introduced reggae music to the western world for the first time, and established the beginning of Marley's international status.

Cancer Diagnosis
In 1977 Marley consulted with a doctor when a wound in his big toe would not heal. More tests revealed malignant melanoma. He refused to have his toe amputated as his doctors recommended, claiming it contradicted his Rastafarian beliefs. Others, however, claim that the main reason behind his refusal was the possible negative impact on his dancing skills. The cancer was kept secret from the general public while Bob continued working.

Returning to Jamaica in 1978, he continued work and released "Survival" in 1979 which was followed by a successful European tour. In 1980 he was the only foreign artist to participate in the independence ceremony of Zimbabwe. It was a time of great success for Marley. He started an American tour to reach blacks in the US which saw him play two shows at Madison Square Garden. However, his illness would begin to take its toll, as he collapsed while jogging in NYC's Central Park on September 21, 1980. The cancer diagnosed earlier had spread to his brain, lungs and stomach. Bob Marley died in a Miami hospital on May 11, 1981. He was 36 years old.

In spite of his death he continues to be recognized for his work, receiving an Order of Merit from Jamaica in 1981 and the Peace Medal from the United Nations in 1978. His legacy is carried on by his children.

Sources 

(2020). Retrieved 6 February 2020, from https://www.biography.com/musician/bob-marley#synopsis

Statz, A. (2020). 7 Surprising Facts You May Not Know About The Legendary Bob Marley. Retrieved 6 February 2020, from https://www.simplemost.com/bob-marley-facts

Bob Marley - IMDb. (2020). Retrieved 6 February 2020, from https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002490/bio