Bob Marley

Bob Marley or Robert Nesta Marley was born to the 18-years old Cedella Booker from Jamaica and a 52 years old sailor Norvan Marley from Europe, who later on was assigned as a helmsman to the British West India Regiment. 

Very soon Norvan’s family experienced some troubles and he decided to leave his young wife and a little son. Though Bob’s father visited him not so often as he wanted to, Norvan always helped them materially. When a future star was at the age of 10 his father passed away.  

Being a teenager, Bob with his mother moved to the capital city of Jamaica - Kingston in search of job opportunities and better life. They came to live in a criminal and poor district of the city - Trenchtown. Here Bob got to know Neville Livingston, with whom they started to investigate music through listening to American radio and such renowned artists as Ray Charles, Brook Benton and Curtis Mayfield. Two boys also admired the music of black singers. 

Robert did not finish his schooling and was moonlighting as a welder. At the same time he devoted time to music and Jamaican singer Joe Higgs helped him and his friend with it, holding vocal lessons.  

Bob Marley started his musical career in 1962 when he was impressed by his singing producer Leslie Kong. Bob recorded several tracks, including his debut single“Judge Not” with the participation of Joe Higgs. The next year the latter helped Bob to create and gather a band “The Wailers”, among its members were Peter Tosh, Beverley Kelso, Bunny Livingston, Cherry Green and Junior Braithwaite. Bob Marley played the guitar and sang, while Alvin Patterson became the band’s mentor. Thanks to Alvin, boys made their way to Clement Dodd, who was a producer from Kingston and agreed to record the guys’ music.  

Kingston’s inhabitants were enjoying hot dance music with Jamaica traditions the centre of it and a distinctive rhythm with end-bluse motives. In 1964 the first band’s single “Simmer Down” saw the world and sold over 80,000 copies. Since that time The Wailers attended the recording studio regularly and developed their music taste. Band members started to open up hard living conditions in the Kingston slum in their lyrics and this also bought them a dose of popularity. The next 2 years were extremely productive for the band: they released up to 30 singles. All the Jamaicans were fond of The Wailers, but serious disagreements lead to its breakup. At this time Bob’s mother Sedella got married again and moved to the US. She wanted her son to live closer to her and send him money for the ticket to The Land of Opportunity. For some short period of time Bob worked at an American automobile factory, but in 8 months returned to Jamaica to reunite his band. 

A new phase in Bob Marley’s music art was connected with rastamans, who stand for marijuana legitimization and are the Rastafari religion followers. His music changed its vector: he wrote about social and spiritual problems. The recreated band sang a lot but was not popular abroad.  

In 1971 Bob founded a recording company but failed to make a profit from it. But the end of a year was successful for the artist: he signed a contract with an American singer Johnny Nash and created 2 hit songs for him. Bob accompanied him during his concerts in Sweden.  

The same year Marley signed another contract with CBS and this helped his band to release a so-called album “Catch a Fire”, which, finally, made them popular outside Jamaica. The Wailers had even a tour throughout Great Britain and the US. Despite the peak of the band’s popularity 2 members decided to leave it: Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. But they were immediately replaced by 3 black ladies, including Bob’s wife and the band itself was renamed “Bob Marley and The Wailers”. The middle of the 1970s was marked by a title the band received: they were called the world's leaders in the reggae music style. Their songs peaked at hit parades and expressed a unique, though self-contradictory idea of rebellion, love and faith altogether. 
At the end of the 1970s, Bob spent a lot of time creating a new album “Exodus”, 3 singles from which became best-sellers.  

In 1978 the singer was honored with a Peace Medal and traveled to Ethiopia and Kenya, which inspired him to record a new album about their struggles for independence.  

What concerns family life, Bob got married to Rita Anderson in 1966 and had 5 kids with her, including a girl from her previous marriage. Unfortunately, Bob Marley passed away at the age of 36 because of his malignant tumor of the big toe.