Bob Marley (Robert Nesta Marley, 6 February 1945 to 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and musician who took reggae to a worldwide audience. With his band The Wailers he recorded songs such as "No Woman, No Cry", "Redemption Song" and "One Love", which spoke of love, resistance and Rastafari. He died of cancer in Miami at the age of 36, and his compilation album Legend became the best-selling reggae album of all time. This biography follows his life and legacy.
Bob Marley at a Glance
| Full name | Robert Nesta Marley |
| Born | 6 February 1945, Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica |
| Died | 11 May 1981, Miami, Florida, United States (aged 36) |
| Profession | Singer, songwriter and guitarist |
| Band | The Wailers (formed 1963) |
| Best-known albums | Catch a Fire (1973), Exodus (1977), Legend (1984, compilation) |
| Honours | Jamaica's Order of Merit (1981); Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1994); Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2001) |
| Spouse | Rita Marley (married 10 February 1966) |
Early Life and The Wailers
Marley was born in Nine Mile, a village in Saint Ann Parish, to Norval Marley and Cedella Booker, and grew up partly in the Trench Town district of Kingston. The Wailers were formed in 1963, and their song "Simmer Down" reached number one in Jamaica in February 1964. They released their first album, The Wailing Wailers, in 1965, and Marley married Rita Marley on 10 February 1966. He became a follower of Rastafari, and his faith shaped his music.
International Success
In 1973 The Wailers released Catch a Fire and Burnin' on Island Records, which introduced the band to audiences outside Jamaica. A live version of "No Woman, No Cry" became his first hit outside Jamaica in 1975. Exodus (1977) stayed on the UK album charts for 56 consecutive weeks. He played four nights at the Rainbow Theatre in London in June 1977, and his later albums included Survival (1979) and Uprising (1980).
The 1976 Attack and the Peace Concert
On 3 December 1976 gunmen attacked Marley at his home in Kingston, wounding him, his wife Rita and his manager Don Taylor. He performed at the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston in 1978, which was intended to ease political violence in Jamaica.
Illness and Death
In July 1977 Marley was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma, a form of skin cancer that started under a toenail, and he declined to have the toe amputated. He collapsed in Central Park in September 1980 and gave his last concert in Pittsburgh two days later. He was baptised in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in November 1980. He flew back towards Jamaica when treatment failed, but became seriously ill on the flight and died at a hospital in Miami on 11 May 1981. Tens of thousands of people filed past his coffin in Kingston.
Personal Life
Marley had 11 children who are recognised by his official website. The film Bob Marley: One Love, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, was released in the United States on 14 February 2024.
Legacy
Legend, a compilation issued in 1984, is the best-selling reggae album, with an estimated 27 million copies sold worldwide, and it has spent more than 800 weeks on the Billboard 200. Marley received Jamaica's Order of Merit in February 1981, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and Rolling Stone ranked him 11th on its list of the 100 greatest artists in 2004.
