Who Was Bob Marley?
Bob Marley was a man born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann
Parish, Jamaica. Marley started his music career when he formed a group with his friends called the Wailing Wailers which their big break came in 1972. They got a contract along with Island Records, where Marley got more than 20 million records throughout his whole entire career. This made him the first superstar to the famous Third-World.
Later on, Marley was seen as a supporter of the People’s Nation Party which may have led to an assassination attempt upon him, but he continued to perform. Marley and the Wailers then released the song called “Redemption Song” from the album “Uprising” (1980) known for its poetic lyrics and social and political importance, the pared-down, folk-sounding "Redemption Song" was an illustration of Marley's talents as a songwriter. One line from the song reads: "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds."
Marley and the Wailers did many tours, this time in Europe in
front of many and tons of people. They also planned a series of concerts in the United States, but the group would play only three concerts there before Marley became ill. Cancer was discovered earlier in his toe had spread throughout his body. He underwent into a treatment later in Germany to fight off cancer for many months. It soon became clear that Marley didn't have much longer to live, however, the musician set out to return to his beloved Jamaica one last time. Sadly, he would not manage to complete the journey, dying in Miami, Florida, on May 11, 1981.
Shortly before his death, Marley had received the Order of
Merit from the Jamaican government. He had also been awarded the Medal of Peace from the United Nations in 1980. More than 30,000 people paid their respects to the musician during his memorial service, held at the National Arena in Kingston, Jamaica.
Decades after his passing, Marley's music remains widely acclaimed. His musical legacy has also continued through his family and longtime bandmates.
By Katty Simmonds, Step 8
