Bob Marley

Bob Marley

“Bob walked on to the stage in what I would later recognize as his inimitable saunter. It was awesome to watch him immediately memorize the crowd with his presence. His guitar slung over his shoulder, his Rasta locks flowing in unrestricted freedom, he generated a raw power of personality that overwhelmed his worshipers. Sounding his opening refrain “Hail Jah Rastafari!” and without another word he immediately launched into his opening song, “Concrete Jungle,” which immediately brought the crowd to its feet.”

Robert Nesta Marley, was born on February 6, 1945. He was born in Nine Miles, Saint Ann, Jamaica. “Bob was the son of a white man, whom he never met. His mother Cedella also left him to be raised by his Granny Yaya and his grandfather, Omeriah.” With his grandparents he grew up in one of the poorest part of Jamaica named Trench town. I feel that this had a major impact on Bob’s life. In many of his songs he talks about Trench town. “Cold ground was my bed last night and rock was my pillow too.” As Bob grew older he spent less time at his home with his grandparents. Instead he was out with his friends Bunny Livingston and Peter Mackintosh. Together they did many things such as walk around town, go to the beach, play soccer and probably most importantly write music. Together the three were known as the Wailing Wailers. They soon had their first release, “Judge Not,” in 1963, but the single had no true success until 1964. After Writing their first single they began to experiment with their music, by slowing down the quick dance rhythms of Jamaican “ska” music and soon after scored hits with “Simmer Down” and “Love and Affection.” Despite its early success, the group broke up in 1966. Peter a...

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...nd the remainder to his children.

As Marley recorded such a volume of work, unreleased material continued to appear on the market years after his death. In 1992, an album set containing 78 songs entitled “Songs of Freedom” was released, featuring a display of his work from his first single to his final concert performance in 1980. By a little more than a decade after his death, the annual royalty income for Marley’s music had increased to an estimated $2.5 million, ranking him among the largest-selling recording artists of all time. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Although Bob died at the early age of 36, he influenced the lives of many, including the people of Jamaica, songwriters, and me personally. Bob Marley’s essence continues to flourish through his son Ziggy Marley who is currently making music based on his father’s ideals.