Reggae Music Legend Bob Marley

Reggae music legend Bob Marley is best known for his hit songs “No Woman, No Cry” and “Buffalo Soldier.”

Introduction

Reggae music is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term reggae derives from the word “ragged” or “ragga”, which is used to describe the style of music. Reggae is characterized by a heavy bass sound and a rhythm that is often syncopated, or offbeat. Reggae is also known for its use of horn instruments, such as the trumpet and saxophone.

Reggae legend Bob Marley is one of the most well-known and influential reggae artists of all time. Marley’s music was a reflection of his life and times, and his lyrics often addressed social issues such as poverty, injustice, and inequality. Marley’s music has been enjoyed by fans all over the world, and his legacy continues to live on through his music.

Early life and influences

Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in the rural village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, to Norval Sinclair Marley and Cedella Booker. Norval Marley was a white Jamaican originally from Sussex, England, whose family claimed Syrian Jewish origins.Bob Marley’s full name is Robert Nesta Marley; Nesta being a Rastafarian name which translates to “blackness”. At the age of 10 he started to call himself ‘Bob’, after his late father, although his friends and family continue to call him ‘Nesta’. Growing up in Trenchtown, a ghetto in Kingston, Bob Marley and his friends formed The Wailers in 1963. The lineup went through some changes before settling on Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and Marley himself as the core members. By this time Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith had also joined on vocals.

Marley’s songs incorporated elements of African music and sounds that would eventually find their way into many different genres including reggae, rocksteady and ska.

Rise to fame

Bob Marley rose to fame in the early 1970s with his band, The Wailers. The Wailers had several hits including “Stir It Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” and “Get Up, Stand Up.” Marley’s music was influential in the development of reggae, a uniquely Jamaican form of music that became popular around the world. Marley’s lyrics often dealt with social and political issues, and he is considered one of the most important figures in Jamaican music.

Later years and legacy

After the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Marley pursued a solo career which culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977, which established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records. His more than twenty number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart during his lifetime include “Is This Love”, “Could You Be Loved”, and “Stir It Up”, as well as two posthumous number-one hits, “Satisfy My Soul” and “Exodus”. Exodus stayed on Britain’s albums chart for 56 consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: “Exodus”, “Waiting in Vain”, “Jamming”, and “One Love”. In 1978 he released the album Kaya , which included the hit singles “Satisfy My Soul” and “(Is This Love)”; both songs entered Britain’s Top 40. A few months after the release of Kaya, Marley was arrested for possession of cannabis in England; he spent ten nights in jail before being bailed out by bail for £5,000 by Island Record boss Chris Blackwell.

Marley’s first wife was Rita Anderson; they married when he was 18 and had four children: Cedella, Stephen, David (known as Ziggy) , and Robert (known as Rohan). Anderson has written a book about their life together called Child of Jamaica . Marley also had several children outside of his marriage: Zelda (with Patricia Palmer), Sharon (with Rita’s cousin Cindy Breakspeare, who was Miss World 1976), Julian , Ky-Mani , and Damian (known as Jr. Gong). Ky-Mani Marley is a reggae musician who has released nine solo albums. Damian Marley is an eight-time Grammy winner who has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.

On 21 May 1981, while jogging through Central Park in New York City, Marley suffered a stroke brought on by congenital heart defects; three days later he collapsed at his home in Miami while attempting to meditate. Members of his entourage including management team Don Taylor and Caroline Buchanan unsuccessfully attempted to revive him using CPR. He was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where attempts to resuscitate him failed; he was pronounced dead at 3:30 pm local time (). He was 36 years old. A statement issued by doctor Carlton Baugh stated that Marley died from a heart attack .

Discography

Bob Marley’s discography is extensive, with over fifty releases under his name, as well as numerous compilation and live albums. His most famous album, Legend, was released in 1984 and contains many of his best-known hits, such as “No Woman, No Cry”, “Could You Be Loved”, and ” Redemption Song”. Other notable albums include Exodus (1977), Kaya (1978), Survival (1979), and Uprising (1980).

Awards and nominations

During his lifetime, Bob Marley received numerous awards and nominations for his musical work. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2010, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, he was ranked number 11 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2001, he was voted by BBC radio listeners as one of the 50 Greatest British Artists of All Time.