Music Monday

Bob Marley’s music has transcended from generation to generation. His positive and uplifting music has inspired millions. Marley’s idea’s of “One Love ” and “One Heart” is the way we should look at ourselves and our fellow man.

His Life

Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley in Saint Parish, Jamaica. Born on February 6, 1945 to Cedella Booker and Norval Marley. The couple married in 1944. Their relationship suffered to much pressure from Norval Marley’s family, because Cedella, Bob Marley’s mother was a 18 year old black girl and Norval was a 50 year old white captain in the Royal Marines. Bob Marley’s father did provide financial support to him and his mother, but rarely saw them because of his constant traveling and his family’s disapproval. When Bob Marley was 10 years old his father died of a heart attack at the age of 60. In the late 50′s when he was just a teenager Marley and his mother moved to Kingston settling in Trench town.

Bob Marley was fascinated with the American music he heard on the radio. He admired artist like Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Curtis Mayfield. Trench town is where Bob met his close friend Neville O’Riley Livingston, also known as Bunny. Marley first started making music with Bunny, as they grew up in the slums of  Trench town their love of music grew. There was no other place for them in Jamaica’s society. Bob Marley quit school to focus more on music, doing odd jobs here and there.

His Music Career

In 1963 Bob and Bunny started a group called the “Teenagers”; the group included Peter Tosh, Junior Briathwaite, Beverly Kelso, and Cherrie Smith. The group of young men were inspired by local singer Joe Higgs. Higgs would hold informal vocal lesson in the yard and this is were the group first meet each other. Later they changed the name of the group to “The Wailing Rudeboys“, then again to “The Wailing Wailers” and finally “The Wailers”.  Marley was the lead singer, songwriter, and lead guitarist of the group.

In the summer of 63′ Clement Dodd, a record producer in Kingston, auditioned The Wailing Wailers and agreed to record the group.The last week of 63′ “The Wailing Wailers” released their first single, “Simmer Down”. By that January the song was number one in the Jamaican charts for two months.

In 1966 Brathwaite, Kelso, and Smith left the group. Bob Marley married Rita Anderson, back-up singer, that same year. Marley’s mother remarried and moved to Wilminton, Delaware and wanted him to come too. The new couple stayed in America only for about eight months. Marley worked as a lab assistant and work on an assembling line under alias Donal Marley, still very focused on his music career.

Bob Marley had more children out side of his relationship with Rita.

After too many conflicts with Clemnt Dodd, Marley and his band teamed with Lee “Scratch” Perry, The partnership lasted less than a year but some consider what they recorded to be “The Wailers” best work. Between 1968 and 1972, Bob and Rita Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer re-cut some old tracks with Jad Records wanting to commercialize The Wailers’ sound.

The Wailers’ first album was released in 1973 and called “Catch a Fire”. The next album was released the following year entitled, ”Burnin” witch included songs “I Shot the Sheriff“ and “Get up Stand up”.

The Wailers broke up in 1974 with each of the three main members going on to pursue solo careers. The reason for the break up was speculation of disagreement with performances. Some say Bunny and Peter wanted to work solo.

Even though the group had broken up Marley still recorded as “Bob Marley and The Wailers”. In 1975 he went international with his hit, “No Woman, No Cry”. He recorded eleven albums that were released, four live albums and seven studio albums. His best know hits were “Jammin“, “Stir it Up”, “One Love” and “Redemption Song”.

Final Days

Bob Marley moved to England in 1976 after he and his wife were shot in there home in Jamaica. The shooting was politically motivated. Marley invited political groups to his home to ease tension and make peace. His wife was seriously injured but fully recovered. Bob received minor wounds in the chest and arm.

In 1978, Marley returned to Jamaica to performed at a political concert. “Survival“,a politically targeted album, was released in 1979. The album “Uprising” was released in May 1980, which included song “Zimbabwe”. The band completed a major tour of Europe, where they played their biggest concert, a hundred thousand people in Milan. After the tour Marley went to America, where he performed two shows at Madison Square Garden, apart of the Uprising Tour.

After that Marley became very ill. Three years earlier he hurt his toe in a soccer. The wound became cancerous and was not treated soon enough and the cancer spread through out his body. He fought the disease for eight mouths but died on May 11, 1981 trying to return to his home in Jamaica. Bob Marley’s music will live on.

References

1. Bob Marley.com

2. Wikipediea.org/Bob Marley