Bob Marley

Bob Marley, known as Bob Marley, was born on 6 February 1945 in Nine Miles, Jamaica, and died on 11 May 1981 in Miami, United States. A singer, songwriter and guitarist, he became the most internationally recognized figure of reggae, selling over 200 million records.

He began his musical career in 1962 and in 1963 formed, with Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, the vocal trio that became The Wailers. The 1964 single Simmer Down gave them their first major success in Jamaica and led to further recordings through the late 1960s.

Marley adopted Rastafari from 1966, influenced by the visit of Haile Selassie and figures such as Mortimer Planno; this spiritual commitment shaped his music and public stance.

From 1968 to 1971 he collaborated with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, material from which was compiled on African Herbsman (1972). Early 1973 saw the release of Catch A Fire and Burnin’ on Chris Blackwell’s Island label. After the Burnin’ Tour (1973), Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh left the group. [p]Performing as Bob Marley & the Wailers, he relied on the rhythm section of Aston "Family Man" Barrett (bass) and Carlton "Carly" Barrett (drums), with Tyrone Downie, guitarist Al Anderson and the vocal trio The I-Threes (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths). Natty Dread (1974) and the cover of I Shot the Sheriff by Eric Clapton helped secure global recognition.

Rastaman Vibration (1976) confirmed his worldwide stardom. Surviving an assassination attempt in Kingston in December 1976, he moved to London for a period—an episode recalled in Ambush in the Night. Exodus followed in 1977, then Kaya (1978) and Survival (1979). He performed in Africa, including a concert in Zimbabwe in 1980 for independence celebrations. [p]Diagnosed with a melanoma in 1977, he released Uprising in 1980 and played his final concert in Pittsburgh on 23 September 1980. He died on 11 May 1981 in Miami and was buried on 21 May in Saint Ann; his national funeral in Kingston drew thousands.

[p]Marley remains a cultural icon: a leading voice of Rastafari, an advocate of pan-Africanism and a symbol of Jamaican identity. He was posthumously awarded Jamaica’s Order of Merit and remains one of the country’s best-known figures worldwide, alongside Usain Bolt.</p]