The Greatest Individual

 

Bob Marley is considered by many to be one most influential musicians of all time. His album Legend went ten times platinum in the U.S and was ranked forty-six in Rollin Stones best five hundred albums. Bob Marley spread a message of love and peace and fought against racism and inequality through his music and way of life.

 

 Bob Marley was born February 6, 1945 on his mother farm in the poor section of Jamaica.  His mother Cedella was black and his father Captain Norval Sinclair Marley was white. Because of his mixed heritage and short stature he was the target of discrimination and bullying. Bob Marley commented on this saying “I don’t have prejudice against meself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don’t dip on nobody’s side. Me don’t dip on the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me dip on God’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.”Though Bob was sent to live with his father for a short time when he was young, he never really knew his father very well. Captain Marley died while Bob was young.. Cedella moved to Kinston to earn a better living and soon sent for Bob to come live with her in the Kingston west side ghetto called Trench town.

 

 

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 In trench town Bob started listening to the radio and developing musical talent with his friends Neville “Bunny” Livingstone and Peter Tosh. At sixteen he recorded his first song “Judge Not” “One Cup of Coffee” and “Terror”. A record producer Clement Dodd gave Bob a room in the back of the studio to stay in while he was recording in exchange for favors. One of these favors included coaching a vocal group, where he met his wife to be, Rita Anderson, whom he married in 1966. While under Dodd Bob Marley recorded “One Love”. The song incorporated all the things that he has been known to stand for Peace, Love, and Unity.

 

 

 

            Bob had a lull in his music after “One Love” until 1973. During this down period Bob moved to Willimington, Delaware with his wife and mother. He worked various jobs in Delaware trying to earn enough money to start his own record company in Jamaica. While in Delaware Bob did pursue music but did not agree with the record producers. His producers tried to persuade him to water down the Rastafarian themes in his music and he responded saying “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold…” Bob then moved his family back to Jamaica so that he could earn a living working in a factory.

 

            Bob Marley did some music work in Jamaica and came back into the mainstream when he released his first international album “Catch a Fire” in 1973. This album was also the first full length Reggae album to be created. A year later The Wailers released the album “Burnin” which included the hits “Get Up, Stand Up” and “I Shot the Sherriff” which was re-recorded by Eric Clapton, giving them further international exposure. During this year of success the other two original Wailers left the band to pursue solo careers. Bob continued and used the Wailers name and formed an all new band with his wife Rita singing back up with two other women, calling themselves the “I Threes”.

With his new band in place Bob Marley put out his first international Hit “No Woman, No Cry” in 1975. In 1976 Bob Marley’s career took off with him performing many tours and appearing on the cover of Time Magazine. This year also contained one of the most painful memories of his life. On December 3, at 8:45 an assassination attempt was made on Bob Marley’s life. Bob his wife, and manager were shot but only his wife and manager were seriously injured. That night Bob went on to perform at his concert.

 

 

 

Bob Marley continued to gain fame and recognition until his death on May 11, 1981 in Miami, Florida from cancer. Bob suffered an injury to his big toe while playing soccer in 1977. Doctors suggested that because it was infected it should be amputated but Bob’s Rastafarian beliefs did not allow him to because according to the religion the body was to be kept whole. The cancer spread to his lungs, stomach, liver, and brain, her was thirty six when he died.  His final words before he died were to his son Ziggy, he said “Money can’t buy life”. Bob Marley was buried according to his specifications with his guitar, his ring given to him by Prince Asfa Wossen of Ethiopia, a soccer ball, a marijuana bud, and a bible.

 Bob Marley was only thirty-six years old when he died, but his music lives on and still spreads a message of Peace, Love, Hope and Unity, today some 28 years later. His CD ‘Legend’ a collection of his greatest hits went ten times multiplatinum, and is the highest selling reggae album in history. Bob Marley and his music are still as popular today as it was then if not more, his music is timeless and will continue to inspire the youth and old of the world for countless generations.

 

 

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