Bob Marley's London life on 30th anniversary of death
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Remembering Bob Marley,
30 Years Later
On May 11, 1981, the reggae superstar died at age 36.
Here's why his musical legacy and personal legend are
still holding strong around the world:
In our fast-paced world, a celebrity is created virtually every minute.
But there are few musical celebrities with a legacy as enduring as that
of Nesta Robert "Bob" Marley.
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of a true musical pioneer,
a man whose impact transcended class, race and culture all over the
world. The reggae legend inspired an almost spiritual following among a
diverse set of believers, who expressed their devotion in iconography
as varied as indigenous Australian shrines and posters on college-dorm-
room walls.
But the question must be asked: Why do so many people connect with
Marley? The answer is fairly simple: Marley was an everyman, a gentle
soul and a revolutionary. Many have identified with his humble upbringing
in the tiny island of Jamaica, the Pan-African beliefs stemming from his
Rastafarian faith, and his advocacy of social justice. When he penned
politically charged songs like "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Get Up Stand
Up," they resonated as far more than mere recordings. They were calls
to action.
Many of Marley's greatest and most recognizable hits came with the
Wailers (including Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer), who grew up beside
him in Trench Town, a Kingston ghetto that spawned many musical
greats. Influenced by American music from the era, the band imbued
their traditional Jamaican rhythms with the soul of Motown, creating a
different take on black music.
Carried by the Caribbean migration to England, the sounds of the islands
were reaching new continents. A chance meeting with Island Records
head Chris Blackwell in 1972 allowed Marley and the Wailers access to
the same high-tech recording equipment that rock bands were using at
the time. Their Third World sound crossed over into the developed
world.
Throughout the 1970s the musicians produced a slew of worldwide hits.
Tracks such as "Exodus" and "One Love" made the charts in the U.S. as
well as in the U.K. and other European countries.
Ultimately, it was Marley's penchant for social justice that made him
an identifiable superstar. Although he was half white (born to a father
of English descent), Marley always identified himself as Pan-African,
and during the mid-1970s he dedicated a string of songs to the
Diaspora: "Buffalo Soldier" to African Americans, "Africa Unite" to those
in Zimbabwe and "War" to his brothers suffering through South Africa's
apartheid.
He was not just outspoken politically; Marley was also not afraid to
mix spirituality and song. For this strong believer in the Rastafarian
movement and the divinity of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, religion
was an integral part of his music and work ethic. The movement most
recognizable to outsiders by its adherents' long dreadlocks, spiritual
use of marijuana and belief in Africa (Zion) as the birthplace of mankind
has been adopted in the African continent, the United States and even
Japan. The influence of Marley's faith can be seen on tracks such as
1974's "Natty Dread" and "So Jah S'eh."
Marley's involvement in Jamaica's politics almost got him killed. In 1976
violent clashes between supporters of Jamaica's two major political
parties left hundreds dead, inspiring Marley to play the Smile Jamaica
festival at the government's invitation in order to help quell the ongoing
bloodshed. Unfortunately, some saw the festival as a support rally for
the People's National Party leader, Jamaican Prime Minister Michael
Manley, and his endorsement of political violence against dissent.
As tensions in the country grew high, gunmen entered the Marley home,
shooting Marley; his wife, Rita; and his manager, Don Taylor, in the
middle of the night. They all survived, and despite his injuries, Marley
performed at the festival two days later, saying, "The people who are
trying to make this world worse aren't taking a day off. How can I?"
After the concert, Marley and his band left Jamaica for more than a
year, recording the international hit album Exodus while in the U.K.
However, his commitment to his home country would see Marley return,
organizing the One Love Peace concert in 1978.
Another love of Marley's life was Rita, a musician in her own right who
often sang backup for the Wailers and recorded several albums of her
own. The couple met in the mid-1960s through Peter Tosh, fell in love
and married shortly afterward. Throughout Marley's career, Rita was by
his side, even through his repeated infidelities. She was his rock,
especially in his later years as he battled health problems.
In 1977 a routine toe injury during a soccer game in France refused to
heal. Testing revealed he had melanoma, a type of skin cancer. In
accordance with his Rastafarian beliefs, Marley refused to have the
toe amputated, and the cancer began to spread throughout his body.
Marley lived, recorded and performed for more than three years despite
the severity of his disease. In 1980 he released his last album, Uprising,
penning the iconic classic "Redemption Song," a track in which he
confronted his mortality.
His final concert took place at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh on Sept.
23, 1980. After unsuccessful cancer treatment in Europe, Marley died a
few months later, in 1981, at a Miami hospital at the age of 36.
But Marley lives on. The album Legend, released three years after his
death, has gone platinum 10 times over and is still the greatest-selling
reggae album of all time. Last year the Marley estate brought in more
than $6 million, according to Forbes magazine.
Marley's influence was not limited to reggae. Eric Clapton owes one of
his most famous hits to Marley and the Wailers -- his version of "I Shot
the Sheriff" reached No. 1 in the United States in 1974. And as hip-hop
became a global force in worldwide music, Marley's legacy inspired the
world's urban community. The Notorious B.I.G., Guru and the Fugees
have reworked Marley classics over the years.
And let's not forget Marley's living legacies. His talented children continue
to record and perform worldwide. Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers --
which also featured brother Stephen as well as their sisters Sharon and
Cedella -- were popular in the late 1980s and through much of the '90s.
Stephen released a groundbreaking album in 2009 called Mind Control
and continues to tour regularly. Last year youngest brother Damian
Marley released his collaborative album, Distant Relatives, with rapper
Nas, blending African rhythms, hip-hop and traditional reggae sounds.
Three decades after Bob Marley's death, you can turn on any radio or
walk down any street, and you will likely hear a Marley song or see
someone wearing a Marley T-shirt. His image will continue to resonate
for years to come; let's also hope his peace-loving ideals will be embraced
during the next 30 years -- and 30 years after that.
Winston "Stone" Ford, creator of the Couch Sessions, is a music writer
based in New York City.
http://www.theroot.com/views/bob-marley-30-years-later?page=0,0
Images of Marley's Living Legacy
Bob Marley died 30 years ago, but the reggae icon left quite a legacy of
children and grandchildren. See what his descendants (including his high-
fashion granddaughter) are up to.
Sharon Marley, Getty Images
Although Bob Marley was not her biological father, he adopted
Sharon, wife Rita's daughter from a previous relationship, and
raised her as his own. Along with three of her siblings, Sharon
was a part of the group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.
Also an actress, the oldest Marley had a small role in the 1989
Denzel Washington film The Mighty Quinn, set in Jamaica.
Captions by Kimberly A. Hines
Cedella Marley, Getty Images
Named after Bob's mother, Cedella Booker, Cedella is Bob
and Rita's oldest child together. She rose to fame as part
of the group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, and
continues her father's legacy as CEO of Tuff Gong Inter-
national. In addition to her musical pursuits, the wife and
mother of three is an actress, a children's-book author and
a clothing designer. Her Catch a Fire clothing line will be
outfitting the Jamaican track-and-field team for the 2012
Olympics.
Ziggy Marley, Getty Images
David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley is Bob's oldest son and the front
man of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. Their debut
album, Play the Game Right, was released in 1985, but the
group didn't achieve widespread success until their third
release, 1988's Conscious Party. A five-time Grammy winner,
Ziggy went solo in 2003 with Dragonfly, and he will release
his fourth solo album, Wild and Free, this June. The married
father of six is also an actor, activist, humanitarian and pro-
marijuana advocate, recently releasing the graphic novel Ziggy
Marley's Marijuanaman.
Stephen Marley, Getty Images
Stephen is Bob and Rita Marley's last child and the fourth
member of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.
A singer, songwriter and producer, Stephen released his
solo debut, Mind Control, in 2007, which received a Grammy
Award for best reggae album the following year. He was
also the main producer on his brother Damian Marley's first
three successful albums and brought the Bob Marley mashup
album Chant Down Babylon to life in 1999 as executive
producer.
Rohan Marley, Getty Images
Rohan, whose mother was Bob's girlfriend Janet Hunt, first
came to the attention of many as a linebacker on the Uni-
versity of Miami Hurricanes football team in the early '90s.
He married his college sweetheart while still at the school,
and they had two children together. In 1996 Rohan met
singer-rapper-songwriter-musician Lauryn Hill, and they
began a love affair, and since then five children have been
born from their "spiritual union.” Rohan, who briefly played
pro football in Canada, went on to found the Marley Coffee
Co. and Tuff Gong Clothing.
Images of Marley's Living Legacy
Julian Marley, Getty Images
Born in London and raised by his mother, Lucy Pounder,
Julian also inherited his father's musical genes. He is a
singer, songwriter, producer and self-taught musician
with three albums to his credit, most recently 2009's
Grammy-nominated album Awake. Julian also does a lot
of work with the Ghetto Youths Foundation and co-pro-
duced the Miami for Haiti benefit alongside younger brother
Ky-Mani in 2010 to aid the earthquake-ravaged country.
Ky-Mani Marley, Getty Images
Ky-Mani was born in Jamaica to Bob's then-girlfriend Anita
Belnavis, a Caribbean table tennis champion, and raised in
inner-city Miami. Ky-Mani was initially more interested in
sports than in making music, but that all changed when he
discovered a knack for rapping and singing and released his
debut album, Like Father Like Son, in 1996. He has released
five albums in total, with a sixth on the way; acted in feature
films (Shottas, One Love); and starred in the BET J reality
series Living the Life of Marley.
Damian Marley, Getty Images
The child of Bob's relationship with 1976 Miss World Cindy
Breakspeare, Damian is nicknamed "Jr. Gong" after his father.
Damian is a dancehall reggae artist and Grammy Award
winner. He released his first album, Mr. Marley, in 1996 at 18
years of age and released two subsequent solo albums, Half-
way Tree and Welcome to Jamrock. In 2010 he teamed up
with rapper Nas on the collaborative album Distant Relatives,
which bridged the gap between dancehall and hip-hop.
Makeda Marley, Courtesy of Urban Islandz
Makeda Jahnesta Marley was born to Yvette Crichton in 1981
in Miami mere weeks after Bob's death. She is the singer's
youngest child, but she did not grow up with or around any of
her half siblings. She attended high school and college in Penn-
sylvania and currently resides in the Philadelphia area. Makeda
pleaded guilty to drug-possession charges (marijuana, of course)
in 2010 after being arrested in 2008 and is now on probation for
seven years.
Selah Marley, Courtesy of Teen Vogue
The oldest child of Rohan and Lauryn Hill, 12-
year-old Selah is looking to follow in the foot
steps of her mother and grandfather. The
budding singer-songwriter was the subject of
her mother's 2002 song, "Selah,” from the Divine
Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood sound track. In
addition to being an aspiring musician, Selah is a
model, most recently making her glossy debut in
the April 2011 issue of Teen Vogue.
http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/seeds-marley
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