I watched this documentary about Bob Marley on YouTube.
I think that this documentary was very helpful. It talked about his early life and his journey as an artist. This documentary is Loaded with rare footage, performances and interviews wit Bob Marley.
Biography and his History
Bob Marley was born on the 6th February 1945 in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica to Norval Sinclair Marley and Cedella Booker. His real name is Robert Nesta Marley. When Bob Marley was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack at the age of 70. His musical explorations deepened to include the latest R&B from American radio stations whose broadcasts reached Jamaica, and the new Ska music.
In February 1962, Marley recorded four songs, “Judge Not”, “One Cup of Coffee”, “Do You Still Love Me?” and “Terror”, at Federal Studio for local music producer Leslie Kong. Three of the songs were released on Beverley’s with “One Cup of Coffee” being released under the pseudonym Bobby Martell.
In 1963, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith were called the Teenagers. They later changed the name to the Wailing Rudeboys and then to the Wailing Wailers at which point they were discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd, and finally to the Wailers. Their single “Simmer Down” for the Coxsone label became a Jamaican #1 in February 1964 selling an estimated 70,000 copies. In 1966, Marley married Rita Anderson, and moved near his mother’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware in the United States. After returning to Jamaica, Marley formally converted to Rastafari and began to grow dreadlocks. In 1972, Bob Marley signed with CBS Records in London.
Bob Marley became an international musical and cultural icon, blending mostly reggae, ska and rocksteady in his compositions. After the Wailers disbanded in 1974,Marley pursued a solo career upon his relocation to England that culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977, which established his worldwide reputation and raised his status as one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records.
Exodus stayed on the British album charts for 56 weeks. It included four UK hit singles: “Exodus”, “Waiting in Vain”, “Jamming”, and “One Love”. One year after, he released the album Kaya, which included the hit singles “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul”. The greatest hits album and Legend were released in 1984, it subsequently became the best-selling reggae album of all time. Diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma in 1977, Marley died on 11 May 1981 in Miami at age 36.
He was a committed Rastafarian who infused his music with a sense of spirituality. He is credited with popularising reggae music around the world and served as a symbol of Jamaican culture and identity. Marley has also evolved into a global symbol and inspired numerous items of merchandise.
Awards and honours
- 1976: Rolling Stone Band of the Year
- June 1978: Awarded the Peace Medal of the Third World from the United Nations.
- February 1981: Awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit, then the nation’s third highest honour.
- March 1994: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 1999: Album of the Century for Exodus by Time Magazine.
- February 2001: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- February 2001: Awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2004: Rolling Stone ranked him No. 11 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
- 2004: Among the first inductees into the UK Music Hall of Fame
- “One Love” named song of the millennium by BBC.
- Voted as one of the greatest lyricists of all time by a BBC poll.
- 2006: A blue plaque was unveiled at his first UK residence in Ridgmount Gardens, London, dedicated to him by the Nubian Jak Community Trust and supported by Her Majesty’s Foreign Office.
- 2010: Catch a Fire inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Reggae Album)
Why is he an important figure?
Bob Marley is considered as a national hero in Jamaica, for all his peace keeping contribution toward his nation. His songs touched a millions worldwide and when it came to the heart of Zimbabwe’s freedom fighters who were fighting for independence during that moment, it touched so deep that many of their soldiers mentioned that it was his inspiring songs that help them to keep up the fight for good.