Monday, May 11, 2009
Introduction
Bob Marley was born in the small village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica as Nesta Robert Marley. A Jamaican passport official swapped his first and middle names. Bob was a hero figure. His departure from this planet came at a point when his vision of One World, One Love inspired by his belief in Rastafari, was beginning to be heard and felt. The last Bob Marley and the Wailers tour in 1980 attracted the largest audiences at that time for any musical act in Europe. Bob's first recording attempts came at the beginning of the Sixties and he continued with all full force till the day he died. Music was his life, he believed it was one medium which all living things could connect to and embrace.
Media
www.bobmarley.com
A tribute to the legendary Bob Marley exploring his life, music, and philosophy. Includes unseen photographs, essays, sound, video, and merchandise.
www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobmarley/articles
Exclusive Rolling Stone coverage of Bob Marley.
www.rastafarian.net
A website dedicated to Bob Marleys religion of Rastafari.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3583280129241704731
A Compilation of many interviews with Bob.
http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/music/urban/reggae/bob%20marley.html
A website with thousands of Bob Marley photos.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Achievment of Life
Plans were made to tour with Stevie Wonder in America that winter, however Bob’s toe injury worsened and he collapsed while jogging in NY’s Central Park.In July 1977, Marley was found to have melanoma , a form of malignant melanoma, in a football wound. on his right big toe. Marley refused amputation, because of the Rastafari belief that the body must be "whole." His cancer spread through his entire body. He fought it for eight months taking treatment at the clinic of Dr. Joseph Issels in Bavaria (Germany), whose treatment went with Marley’s beliefs (partly based on avoidance of certain foods, drinks and other substance).Issels’ treatment was controversial and non-toxic and, for a time anyway, Bob’s condition seemed to stabilise. Eventually, however, the battle proved too much. At the start of May Bob Marley left Germany for his Jamaican home, a journey he did not complete. He died in a Miami hospital on Monday May 11, 1981.In April 1981, Marley was awarded Jamaica’s Order Of Merit, the nation’s third highest honour, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the country’s culture.
Bob's Bio
Robert Nesta Marley was born on February 6, in Nine Miles Jamaica. In 1961, at the age of sixteen, Bob released his first song, Judge Not, which did not do well. This did not discourage Bob. He continued to pursue a career in music and in 1965, he formed a group called ‘The Wailers’ with Bunny Livingstone (later known as Bunny Wailer) and Peter McIntosh (later known as Peter Tosh.) Bob acted as front man for the group and wrote most of the group’s material.
In 1966, Bob Marley married Rita Anderson, his long-term girlfriend. The next day he went to the United States and stayed long enough to gain financing for his next record. The next year Bob and Rita’s first child, Cedella, was born. Soon after, the Marleys set up their own recording label, Wail ‘N Soul ‘M Records, and produced a single, ‘Bend Down Low/Mellow Mood.’ That same year, the record label was ended.
Their next child, David (Ziggy) was born in 1968. The Wailers continued to release singles without producing an album. The band formed another label, Tuff Gong, and finally reached a degree of success. By that time, the Wailers were famous in the Caribbean, but were unknown in the rest of the world.
Finally in 1971, the Wailers got a break. Island Records forwarded them 8,000 pounds for the production of a full album. The Wailers were the first reggae band to receive so much money and to have access to the best recording studios. They produced two albums, ‘Catch a Fire’ and ‘Burnin’’, the albums which included ‘Get Up Stand Up’ and ‘I Shot the Sheriff.’ The Wailers began to tour the United States and the United Kingdom and when Eric Clapton covered ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ the Wailers soared to instant fame.
Soon after their success in the US, the band changed their name to Bob Marley and the Wailers and then released their next album, ‘Natty Dread.’ The album included the hit single ‘No Woman No Cry,’ perhaps their most popular song. By 1976, reggae fever had swept the United States. Rolling Stone magazine named Bob Marley and the Wailers the ‘Band of the Year’.
On December 3 of 1976, an assassination attempt was made on Bob Marley, his wife and the managers of the Wailers to keep him from playing at the Smile Jamaica concert in Kingston. His concert was scheduled for December 5 after a presidential candidate’s election rally, a presidential candidate who happened to be at odds with the US. Some people believe that the assassination attempt was executed by the US government, for fear that Marley’s performance would sway the vote. Despite receiving two gunshot wounds, Bob Marley performed anyway and then left for the UK.
In 1977 Bob found out that he had cancer in his toe. Doctors recommended that he have the toe removed, but Bob refused since this was against his Rastafarian beliefs. In 1980, Marley fell gravely ill. The cancer in his toe had spread upwards through his body and had infected his liver, stomach and brain. In September, Bob nearly fainted during a concert in New York City. The next day he collapsed while jogging through a park and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors revealed that the tumor in his brain had greatly enlarged and that Bob had less than a month to live.
Bob wanted to continue touring. His wife Rita was not happy with his decision to spend his final days touring though, and the concert was canceled the next day. Bob then went to Miami where he was baptized at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on November 4. Five days later, in a last attempt to save his life, Bob flew to a controversial treatment center in Germany with Rita. Three months later on May 11, 1981, Bob Marley died at the young age of 36.
Bob Marley’s funeral was held in Jamaica on May 21, and hundreds of thousands of people attended, including the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Bob’s body was taken back to his birth place in Nine Miles where it now rests in a mausoleum.
In 1966, Bob Marley married Rita Anderson, his long-term girlfriend. The next day he went to the United States and stayed long enough to gain financing for his next record. The next year Bob and Rita’s first child, Cedella, was born. Soon after, the Marleys set up their own recording label, Wail ‘N Soul ‘M Records, and produced a single, ‘Bend Down Low/Mellow Mood.’ That same year, the record label was ended.
Their next child, David (Ziggy) was born in 1968. The Wailers continued to release singles without producing an album. The band formed another label, Tuff Gong, and finally reached a degree of success. By that time, the Wailers were famous in the Caribbean, but were unknown in the rest of the world.
Finally in 1971, the Wailers got a break. Island Records forwarded them 8,000 pounds for the production of a full album. The Wailers were the first reggae band to receive so much money and to have access to the best recording studios. They produced two albums, ‘Catch a Fire’ and ‘Burnin’’, the albums which included ‘Get Up Stand Up’ and ‘I Shot the Sheriff.’ The Wailers began to tour the United States and the United Kingdom and when Eric Clapton covered ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ the Wailers soared to instant fame.
Soon after their success in the US, the band changed their name to Bob Marley and the Wailers and then released their next album, ‘Natty Dread.’ The album included the hit single ‘No Woman No Cry,’ perhaps their most popular song. By 1976, reggae fever had swept the United States. Rolling Stone magazine named Bob Marley and the Wailers the ‘Band of the Year’.
On December 3 of 1976, an assassination attempt was made on Bob Marley, his wife and the managers of the Wailers to keep him from playing at the Smile Jamaica concert in Kingston. His concert was scheduled for December 5 after a presidential candidate’s election rally, a presidential candidate who happened to be at odds with the US. Some people believe that the assassination attempt was executed by the US government, for fear that Marley’s performance would sway the vote. Despite receiving two gunshot wounds, Bob Marley performed anyway and then left for the UK.
In 1977 Bob found out that he had cancer in his toe. Doctors recommended that he have the toe removed, but Bob refused since this was against his Rastafarian beliefs. In 1980, Marley fell gravely ill. The cancer in his toe had spread upwards through his body and had infected his liver, stomach and brain. In September, Bob nearly fainted during a concert in New York City. The next day he collapsed while jogging through a park and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors revealed that the tumor in his brain had greatly enlarged and that Bob had less than a month to live.
Bob wanted to continue touring. His wife Rita was not happy with his decision to spend his final days touring though, and the concert was canceled the next day. Bob then went to Miami where he was baptized at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on November 4. Five days later, in a last attempt to save his life, Bob flew to a controversial treatment center in Germany with Rita. Three months later on May 11, 1981, Bob Marley died at the young age of 36.
Bob Marley’s funeral was held in Jamaica on May 21, and hundreds of thousands of people attended, including the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Bob’s body was taken back to his birth place in Nine Miles where it now rests in a mausoleum.
One Love
"Just let me tell you something (yeah), to make everything come true, we gotta be together. (Yeah, yeah, yeah) and through the spirit of the Most High, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, we're inviting a few leading people of the slaves to shake hands. . . To show the people that you love them right, to show the people that you gonna unite, show the people that you're over bright, show the people that everything is all right. Watch, watch, watch, what you're doing, because . . I mean, I'm not so good at talking but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Well, I'm trying to say, could we have, could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. Michael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga. I just want to shake hands and show the people that we're gonna make it right, we're gonna unite, we're gonna make it right, we've got to unite . The moon is high over my head, and I give my love instead. The moon is high over my head, and I give my love instead."
These are the words of Bob Marley at the One Love Peace Concert on April 22, 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. This concert was held during a political civil war in Jamaica between opposing parties Jamaican Labour Party and the People's National Party. The concert came to its peak during Bob Marley & The Wailers' performance of "Jammin'", when Marley joined the hands of political rivals Michael Manley (PNP) and Edward Seaga (JLP). This was an extremely important event in Bob's life, it showed the world that he was truly making a change and moving into a world of peace.
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