Bob Marley

Robert Nesta Marley, known worldwide as Bob Marley, was born on 6 February 1945 in the rural hamlet of Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, then part of the Colony of Jamaica. Growing up in a mixed‑heritage family—his father Norval Sinclair Marley was a white Jamaican and his mother Cedella Booker an Afro‑Jamaican—Marley was exposed early to the rich tapestry of Caribbean oral traditions, gospel hymns, and the burgeoning sounds of ska and rocksteady. By age 12 he had moved to Kingston’s Trenchtown, where the harsh realities of poverty and political turmoil forged his lyrical consciousness. In 1962 he recorded his first tracks at Federal Studios, and the following year co‑founded the vocal group that would evolve into The Wailers, alongside Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Their early hits like “Simmer Down” captured Jamaica’s youthful exuberance, while collaborations with producers such as Coxsone Dodd and Lee “Scratch” Perry refined their sound into the deep, rhythmic pulse of reggae. After signing with Island Records in 1972, Marley’s music transformed into a global phenomenon; albums like Catch a Fire, Burnin’, Natty Dread and Exodus blended spiritual Rastafarian chants with compelling social commentary, earning him acclaim as a voice for the oppressed and a symbol of Pan‑African unity.

Marley’s life was marked by both artistic triumph and personal turmoil. A 1976 assassination attempt, his 1977 diagnosis of acral lentiginous melanoma, and his steadfast commitment to Rastafarian ideals—later tempered by a conversion to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity—added layers of depth to his legacy. Despite his premature death on 11 May 1981 in Miami at age 36, Marley left an indelible mark: over 75 million records sold, a posthumous induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and a catalogue of timeless anthems such as “One Love”, “No Woman, No Cry”, and “Redemption Song”. His influence permeates music, politics, and popular culture, cementing his status as a transcendent artistic icon.