BoB Marley

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BoB Marley

a Biography

David V. Moskowitz

greenwood

biographies

GreenwooD Press

westPort, connecticut • lonDon

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moskowtz, Davd V. (Davd Vlado), 1969 –

Bob Marley : a bography / Davd V. Moskowtz.

p. cm. — (Greenwood bographes, ISSN 1540-4900)

Dscography: p.

Includes bblographcal references and ndex.

ISBN-13: 978–0–313–33879–3 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 0–313–33879–5 (alk. paper)

1. Marley, Bob. 2. Reggae muscans —Jamaca—Bography. I. Ttle.

ML420.M3313M66 2007

782.421646092—dc22

[B] 2007018313
Brtsh Lbrary Catalogung n Publcaton Data s avalable.
Copyrght © 2007 by Davd V. Moskowtz
All rghts reserved. No porton of ths book may be

reproduced, by any process or technque, wthout

the express wrtten consent of the publsher.
Lbrary of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007018313

ISBN-13: 978 –0–313–33879–3

ISBN-10: 0–313–33879–5

ISSN: 1540–4900
Frst publshed n 2007
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881

An mprnt of Greenwood Publshng Group, Inc.

www.greenwood.com
Prnted n the Unted States of Amerca

The paper used n ths book comples wth the

Permanent Paper Standard ssued by the Natonal

Informaton Standards Organzaton (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Jack, welcome to the world

series Foreword

In response to hgh school and publc lbrary needs, Greenwood devel-

oped ths dstngushed seres of full-length bographes specfcally for

student use. Prepared by feld experts and professonals, these engagng

bographes are talored for hgh school students who need challengng

yet accessble bographes. Ideal for secondary school assgnments, the

length, format and subject areas are desgned to meet educators’ requre-

ments and students’ nterests.

Greenwood offers an extensve selecton of bographes spannng

all currculum related subject areas ncludng socal studes, the sc-

ences, lterature and the arts, hstory and poltcs, as well as popular

culture, coverng publc fgures and famous personaltes from all tme

perods and backgrounds, both hstorc and contemporary, who have

made an mpact on Amercan and/or world culture. Greenwood b-

ographes were chosen based on comprehensve feedback from l-

brarans and educators. Consderaton was gven to both currculum

relevance and nherent nterest. The result s an ntrgung mx of the

well known and the unexpected, the sants and snners from long-ago

hstory and contemporary pop culture. Readers wll fnd a wde array of

subject choces from fascnatng crme fgures lke Al Capone to nspr-

ng poneers lke Margaret Mead, from the greatest mnds of our tme

lke Stephen Hawkng to the most amazng success stores of our day

lke J. K. Rowlng.

Whle the emphass s on fact, not glorfcaton, the books are meant

to be fun to read. Each volume provdes n-depth nformaton about the

subject’s lfe from brth through chldhood, the teen years, and adulthood.

A thorough account relates famly background and educaton, traces

personal and professonal nfluences, and explores struggles, accomplsh-

ments, and contrbutons. A tmelne hghlghts the most sgnfcant lfe

events aganst a hstorcal perspectve. Bblographes supplement the

reference value of each volume.

SERIES FOREWORD

aCknowledgMents

My sncerest thanks go to my wfe, Jen, and our chldren Heather, Lucas,

Kate, and Jack. Wthout ther boundless patence there would never be

enough tme for me to work on projects such as ths. Thanks also go to

Dr. Walter Clark whose gudance and tutelage have helped me to pursue

the research that nterests me most. Further thanks to Photofest Inc. for

ther knd permsson to use the mages contaned n ths book.

tiMeline: events in the liFe

oF BoB Marley

1945 Nesta Robert Marley, the only chld of Cedella Mal-

colm and Captan Norval Snclar Marley, was born at

2:30 p.m. on February 6, 1945. The brth took place on

Cedella’s father’s (Omerah Malcolm’s) farm n Nne

Mle, St. Ann’s Parsh, Jamaca. Bob stayed on ths fam-

ly farm untl he was sx.

1951 Bob went to lve wth hs father n Kngston, Jamaca.

When Cedella arrved the followng year to look n on

Bob, she dscovered that he had not been lvng wth

hs father but had nstead been stayng wth an elderly

woman named Mrs. Grey.

1952 Once mother and son were reunted, they returned to-

gether to ther rural Jamacan home n St. Ann.

1955 Bob learned that hs father had ded, hs mother moved

to Kngston (wthout hm) to earn a better lvng.

1956 Bob was moved from hs grandfather’s farm to lve wth

hs mother’s sster, for whom he tended a herd of goats.

1957 Bob was reunted wth hs mother when he moved to

Kngston to jon her. Ths otherwse happy reunon was

marred by the fact that they now lved n Kngston’s

west-sde ghetto known as Trench Town.

1959 After attendng several area schools, ncludng Ebenezer,

Wesley, and St. Aloysus, Bob ended hs formal educa-

ton when he qut school. He spent hs tme playng

soccer, hangng out wth other ghetto youth, and gradu-

ally pckng up musc.

1960 Together wth hs closest frend Bunny, born Nevlle

Lvngston, Bob began to cultvate hs muscal talents.

He and Bunny bult rudmentary nstruments and to-

gether they practced sngng by mtatng Fats Domno,

Lous Jordan, and the harmones of Curts Mayfeld’s Im-

pressons. Also durng ths year, Bob and Bunny began

studyng sngng wth the Jamacan recordng artst Joe

Hggs. Hggs not only provded sngng lessons, but he

added Peter Tosh (born MacIntosh) to the group.

1962 At age 16, Bob was taken to sng for producer Lesle

Kong, who ssued hs frst recordngs, “Judge Not,” “One

Cup of Coffee,” and “Terror,” on the Beverley’s mprnt.

1963 Bob, Peter, and Bunny recorded for Clement “Coxsone”

Dodd, who was one of the three bggest producers of

Jamacan popular musc on the sland. Under the name

The Walng Walers, the group released the sngle

“Smmer Down,” whch brought them consderable suc-

cess n Jamaca.

1965 The Walng Walers contnued to have success wth

a seres of sold-sellng sngles. By the end of the year,

t was clear that Bob was the natural front man for the

group. Ths led to frcton that ultmately broke up the

orgnal three-member group. Early n the year, Bob

met Rta Anderson (Alpharta Constanta Anderson),

whom he soon marred.

1966 Together, Bob and Rta had three chldren, although

Bob had many other chldren outsde hs relatonshp

wth Rta. Later n ths year, Bob moved to Wlmng-

ton, Delaware. Bob remaned n Wlmngton for seven

months, durng whch tme he worked a varety of odd

jobs tryng to make enough money to launch hs own

Jamaca-based record company. Whle n Wlmng-

ton, Bob stayed wth hs mother, who had prevously

relocated to the Unted States.

1969 Bob, Peter, and Bunny (under the name of the Walers)

recorded a seres of successful sngles for Johnny Nash

and Danny Sms’s JAD label. In the mddle of the year,

Bob was agan n Delaware makng and savng money to

open hs own studo n Jamaca.

TIMELINE

1970 The Walers begn recordng a seres of now classc

sngles for producer Lee “Scratch” Perry n what would

be a legendary lneup: Bob Marley, Bunny Waler, Peter

Tosh, and the Barrett Brothers (Aston and Carlton) as

the rhythm secton.

1971 Bob, Peter, and Bunny, along wth ther rhythm secton

Aston and Carlton Barrett, were n London workng for

Nash and Sms on a record deal for CBS records. At the

end of the year, the group was abandoned n London

wth no means to return to Jamaca. Bob made contact

wth Island Records’ head, Chrstopher Blackwell, who

fronted hm the money to get the band back to Jamaca

and make an album. Ths assocaton quckly made Is-

land Records the most mportant reggae musc label.

1972 The Walers released Catch a Fire, whch was the frst

album-length recordng of reggae musc. The album had

modest success and a degree of crossover appeal due to

the rock and roll style gutar and keyboard overdubs that

Blackwell added to the orgnal tracks. In January 1973,

the album was released n the Unted States and forever

changed the way that reggae musc was packaged and

marketed. Catch a Fire was soon unversally recognzed

as the frst genune reggae album n hstory.

1973 The Walers launched ther frst offcal tour, whch

ncluded televson appearances on the Old Grey Whistle

Test and Top Gear. Also n ths year, the Walers released

ther second record on the Island label, Burnin’.

1974 The Walers reached nternatonal exposure due to Erc

Clapton’s cover of the Walers song “I Shot the Sherff.”

The song went to number one and sparked an enormous

amount of nterest n the reggae style. Whle they were

experencng the most success they had yet had, the

orgnal three-member Walers core dsbanded. Bob

contnued to use the Walers name for the rest of hs

lfe. Wthout Peter and Bunny, Bob went on to release

the Natty Dread album at the end of the year.

1975 In January, the orgnal Walers offcally dsbanded. The

Natty Dread album was released nternatonally n Feb-

ruary. Much of the summer and fall of the year was taken

up by an nternatonal tour n support of the new album.

Several shows were recorded n England and made nto

TIMELINE

the frst Walers concert album, called Live! The album

sold well n the UK and was released n the Unted

States n 1976.

1976 Bob appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazne.

Bob Marley and the Walers released the Rastaman Vi-

bration album then toured for three months to support

the release. At approxmately 8:45 p.m. on December 3,

gunmen broke nto Marley’s house at 56 Hope Road and

opened fre. Bob and Rta were each shot once and ther

manager, Don Taylor, was shot several tmes. Everyone

survved, but ths forced Bob nto self-mposed exle n

fear for hs lfe.

1977 In the wake of the assassnaton attempt, Bob released a

flurry of records. Exodus was ssued on June 3, 1977.

1978 Kaya album released n early 1978. The Exodus and

Kaya releases both spawned successful tours. Bob set up

the Jamacan Peace Concert, whch featured several

mportant reggae acts. The concert was produced to help

settle some of the volence that had been tearng the

sland apart.

1979 Bob and the Walers released the Survival album n

October of 1979. The album was another bg success

and led to another nternatonal tour whch was

launched n Boston at the end of October.

1980 The sessons that produced the Survival materal also

yelded the songs for the album Uprising. Uprising was

released n June and was supported by another nterna-

tonal tour wth dates n the Unted States and Western

Europe, durng whch the Walers played for over one

mllon people. Durng the North Amercan leg of the

Uprising tour, Bob collapsed whle joggng n New York’s

Central Park. It was soon dscovered that he had suf-

fered a stroke and the rest of the tour was canceled. The

last lve show that Bob Marley and the Walers played

was on September 23, 1980, at Pttsburgh’s Stanley The-

ater. In the wake of hs collapse, Bob was dagnosed wth

termnal cancer n hs stomach, lungs, and bran. At the

end of the year, Bob traveled to Bad Wessee, Germany,

seekng nontradtonal cancer treatment from Dr. Josef

Issels. Dr. Issels was able to extend Bob’s lfe, but could

not successfully treat the cancer.

TIMELINE

1980 On October 4, Amercan popular muscan Steve Won-

der released a trbute to the cancer-strcken reggae su-

perstar. The song was reggae-lke n style and was called

“Master Blaster (Jammn’).” It went on to be a serous

ht on the U.S. rhythm and blues charts and topped out

at number fve on the pop charts.

1981 At 11:45 on Monday, May 11, 1981, Robert Nesta

Marley, the frst thrd-world muscan who rose to nter-

natonal super stardom, ded. In death, Bob was treated

as a Jamacan natonal hero. He was awarded Jamaca’s

Natonal Order of Mert and gven a state funeral.

Afterward, Bob’s body was taken to hs St. Ann’s brth-

place where t remans. Snce hs death, Bob’s chldhood

home n St. Ann and hs house at 56 Hope Road have

become places of plgrmage for ardent fans. Although

there are many albums that have been released after

Bob’s death, the Confrontation album (released n 1983)

was the only posthumous release that was conceved of

by Bob before he ded.

1984 The most popular collecton of Bob’s greatest hts, Leg-

end, was released. The album went on to become the

hghest-sellng reggae album of all tme.

1999 The collecton of Bob’s greatest hts, Legend, receved ts

10th platnum certfcaton, sgnfyng that t had sold

more than 10 mllon copes. Ths contnues to easly

hold the record for the hghest-sellng reggae boxed set.

TIMELINE

Robert Nesta Marley was the frst and possbly the only superstar to emerge

from the thrd world. From hs meager rural begnnngs, Bob blossomed

nto a man of such sgnfcant mport and nfluence that hs attempted

assassnaton n 1976 was poltcally motvated. Bob’s muscal nfluence

s stll felt. Hs was the frst reggae act to release a full-length LP, whch

mmedately changed the marketng model that had exsted for 30 years.

Beyond ts commercal mpact, Bob’s musc has a unversal qualty that

transcends race, color, economc class, even language. For example, t s

known that hs musc s lstened to by such dverse groups as the Maor

people of New Zealand and the Hop Indans lvng n Amerca’s Grand

Canyon.

Although he lved a short lfe, only 36 years, Bob penned an enormous

quantty of songs. And unlke some songwrters, Bob was nvolved n all

aspects of the creaton of hs musc. He worked on each of the nstrumental

parts, wrote the lyrcs, and had hs hand n the control room whle the

ntal tracks were beng lad down, n addton to beng nvolved n the

edtng and overdubbng process that yelded the fnal product. Bob’s

sound was so characterstc of reggae that t vrtually cornered the “roots

reggae” desgnaton. Hs rhythm secton poneered the standard roots reg-

gae groove, whch they called “one drop” rhythm. One drop rhythm was

acheved when the drummer accented only the thrd beat of a four beat

measure. The classcal musc of Western Europe typcally accented the

frst and the thrd beat n a four beat measure, and Amercan rock and roll

musc emphaszed beats two and four. Ths unque reggae rhythm sepa-

rated t from the musc from whch t grew and made t dstnctly Jamacan

chapter 1

Country Boy to

ghetto youth

BOB MARLEY

n character. Bob so lked ths style of playng that he wrote a song that

llustrated the rhythm (the song s called “One Drop”) and ncluded lyrcs

about the fne qualty of ths rhythm. In addton to hs achevements n

formng the reggae sound, Bob was also an expert lyrcst. The equal of

any contemporary hp-hop word slnger, Bob was able to craft emotonally

powerful chans of words that are pleasng to lsten to on the surface but

that pack a serous punch when ther meanngs are explored. He was able

to draw the meanng and the emoton out of each word and then expertly

hde them n relaxed “sland”-soundng musc. Bob dd ths on purpose. If

hs musc was too overtly poltcal or venomous, t would not be commer-

cal or rado frendly. Bob also knew hs way around a good rock and roll

song. Hs musc s often delvered n the standard verse/chorus form wth

addtonal weght added to the chorus materal. Ths s a tme-honored

rock and roll form wth roots from Elvs to the Beatles.

Regardless of Bob’s poverty-strcken chldhood, hs adult lfe con-

taned the trappngs of success. At the heght of hs career n the late

1970s, Bob lved n a bg house n downtown Kngston, the captal cty

of Jamaca. The house contaned all of the standard lvng spaces, plus

rehearsal and recordng spaces so that Bob and hs band could work where

they lved. A typcal day at ths house, 56 Hope Road, was to spend the

mornng playng soccer and smokng ganja (Jamacan slang for mar-

juana), the afternoon conductng busness and meetng wth people who

often wanted Bob to gve them money, and the evenng rehearsng and

recordng, contnung well nto the nght. Bob dd acqure some of the

symbols of a wealthy person. For example, he drove a BMW, whch was

certanly an ndcaton of hs monetary standng. However, Bob dd not

really care much for such symbols and reportedly bought the car because

BMW could stand for Bob Marley and the Walers. Lke hs chldhood

home n St. Ann’s Parsh, the house at 56 Hope Road has been converted

nto a museum. The upstars bedrooms are now gallery space that house

tems such as a large map of the world wth push pns markng all of the

places where Bob and the Walers toured. Bob’s son Zggy’s old room (hs

son’s actual name s Davd) has been made nto a busness offce and a

lbrary. Bob’s master bedroom s also on the second floor and t has been

preserved just the way that t was when he ded.

As well as the attracton that Bob’s musc had, he also had a very mag-

netc personalty. Bob was descrbed as open, honest, and approachable,

especally to hs ghetto brothers and ssters. However, when deceved by a

busness assocate or cornered by an ntervewer, Bob could become qute

nasty; he would quckly gve the person a serous look that made everyone

understand that he should not be taken for granted. Another way that

COUNTRY BOY TO GHETTO YOUTH

Bob separated hmself from the Western world was n hs speech. Whle

Englsh s the offcal language of Jamaca, most Jamacans actually speak

a pdgn verson of the language ncludng words adopted from varous

Afrcan languages and a great deal of slang. So, f Bob wanted to be un-

derstood he spoke n plan Englsh, but f he wanted to confuse the person

he was talkng to or wanted to purposely obscure hs meanng, then he

swtched nto a thck Jamacan accent that was completely unntellgble

to anyone who was not from the sland.

As a professonal performer, Bob presented a knd of front that man-

fested tself n the way he acted and the way he looked. He favored denm

shrts and pants, boots, and stockng hats (called tams). On stage he often

fell nto a trance-lke state whle sngng. He would keep hs eyes closed

and flal hs arms whle swngng hs long dreadlocks. All of these compo-

nents together created Bob Marley the legend.

Bob’s mpact was felt durng hs lfe and contnues to be felt today.

Snce 1991, Bob Marley and the Walers have sold n excess of 21 mllon

records (these statstcs dd not begn to be collected untl 10 years after

hs death). Further, Bob has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was

nducted nto the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he receved the Grammy

Lfetme Achevement Award, and he was awarded the Jamacan Order of

Mert. Regardless of these (and many other) awards, the true test of Bob’s

worth s tme. Twenty-fve years after hs death, the musc of Bob Marley

and the Walers s as popular, mportant, and pertnent as t was the day

t was released.

Jamaica

Jamaca s one of the larger Carbbean slands and s located about two

hundred mles south of the slands at the southern tp of Florda (the

Florda Keys). The sland tself s lttle more than a mountan stckng

up through the surface of the ocean; however, due to ts clmate Jamaca

s an sland paradse. The low-lyng coastal areas contan the majorty of

the sland’s populaton, and the majorty of the people lvng n the nte-

ror have tradtonally lved off the land. In fact, much of the Jamacan

economy has been based on the exportaton of ther crops, such as coffee,

sugarcane, bananas, coconuts, ctrus fruts, and pmento. The populaton

of the sland s sparse n ts nteror, but qute dense n the ctes of Kngs-

ton (the captal), Montego Bay, Negrl, and Ocho Ros. An nterestng

dualty on the sland s the great dsparty between the wealthy and the

poor. Jamaca s stll part of the thrd world as many of ts nhabtants do

not have runnng water, electrcty, or telephone servce. Conversely, the

BOB MARLEY

sland’s ctes are as modern as any n the Unted States. Ths economc

dvde also creates an unstable envronment that s often marked by po-

ltcal unrest and volence. It was nto these crcumstances that Nesta

Robert (the order of hs names was later reversed) Marley was born at

2:30 p.m. on February 6, 1945.

Birth in nine mile

Bob was born n the rural nteror of the sland n a parsh called

St. Ann. Jamacan parshes are vaguely equvalent to countes n the

Unted States. Bob was born to a black Jamacan mother, Cedella Malcolm,

and a whte Jamacan father, Captan Norval Snclar (or Sant Clar)

Marley. The two were an odd par as Cedella was only 18 and Norval, a

member of the Brtsh army, was n hs early sxtes. Bob’s brth took place

on hs maternal grandfather’s farm. Omerah Malcolm was a landown-

ng black man who was a respected nhabtant of the vllage called Nne

Mle. Bob’s brthplace s a small rural communty that s located hgh n

the nteror mountans of the sland. Bob’s mother and father had met on

Omerah’s farm, and the two were marred there on June 9, 1944. The

weddng was not the usual happy occason, as Captan Marley announced

that he would be departng Nne Mle the followng day. He had been of-

fered a government job n Kngston and had no ntenton of returnng to

St. Ann. The captan dd return, however, on the occason of Bob’s brth.

After a week’s stay, the captan agan returned to Kngston and gradually

lost touch wth hs wfe and son.

Because the captan was not takng fnancal responsblty for hs new

famly, Cedella had to support her son. Her father allowed her to open a

small grocery store on the famly property where she could sell the crops

that she helped grow. There s some dsagreement about Cedella and Bob’s

care durng hs early lfe. Stephen Davs noted n hs bography of the reg-

gae superstar that Captan Marley left Omerah wth enough money to

buld Cedella and Bob a small cabn to lve n and startup money for the

grocery store. Regardless, Cedella and Bob were poor and barely scrapng

by at ths tme. Whle Bob was stll a baby, the captan contacted Cedella

to request that she send Bob to Kngston to lve wth hm. Bob’s mother

wanted no part of ths separaton from her chld; however, the captan dd

not let the ssue drop completely.

Bob began hs formal educaton at age four when he began attendng

the Stepney School. Stepney was a basc school and provded Bob wth

rudmentary educaton n letters and numbers. Durng hs early edu-

caton, Bob was sngled out by hs teacher as beng a brght chld and

COUNTRY BOY TO GHETTO YOUTH

a fast learner. When Bob was sx years old, hs father reappeared n Nne

Mle and agan tred to convnce Cedella that Bob would be better off

n Kngston. Ths tme, hs father added that Bob’s educaton would be

better served at the bgger, better Kngston publc school. Cedella and

Omerah consdered the captan’s request and decded that t was n Bob’s

best nterest to attend school n Kngston. Further, Cedella could not af-

ford Bob’s school clothes and lunches. All ths havng been consdered,

Bob went to Kngston to lve wth hs father and attend publc school.

Cedella and the captan corresponded durng her separaton from her

son and she was always reassured that Bob was dong well. After sx

months, Cedella planned to rde the bus nto Kngston to vst her son.

The captan put her off, sayng that Bob was away on a school trp and ths

evason foreshadowed Captan Marley’s decet. After a full year had passed,

Cedella had had enough of the captan’s stallng. She had learned from a

frend that Bob was not n fact lvng wth the captan at all. She had also

been told that Bob was unhappy wth hs Kngston arrangements and was

watng for hs mother’s assstance.

In early 1952, Cedella arrved n Kngston to reclam her son. Ths pre-

sented a problem as she no longer knew where the captan or Bob lved.

Cedella had receved word that Bob was lkely lvng on Heywood Street,

so she went there and began askng about her son. Soon she learned that

Bob had been lvng wth an elderly woman named Mrs. Grey, and as

Cedella searched out Mrs. Grey’s house, around the corner came Bob.

Reunted wth hs mother, Bob took her to meet Mrs. Grey, who nformed

Cedella that Bob had been lvng wth her snce hs arrval n Kngston.

The captan’s plan was that by lvng wth Mrs. Grey, Bob would become

her her when she ded. Wth the captan’s plan exposed and foled, Bob

and Cedella returned to St. Ann.

Back n hs rural brthplace, Bob agan studed at the Stepney School.

Whle not studyng, Bob helped hs mother run the grocery store. Whle

workng at the store Bob began to exhbt hs sngng talent. Hs mother

reported that Bob sang tradtonal Jamacan vendor songs that he had

learned whle he was lvng n Kngston. In 1955, Bob learned that hs

father had ded. In the same year, Bob was agan separated from Cedella.

The meager earnngs from the grocery store were not enough to support

the two of them. Rural Jamacan lfe was and s very dffcult, and although

slavery was abolshed n the 1830s, the sland stll has undertones of slavery.

Because she could not support Bob and herself, Cedella opted to take a job

as a housekeeper n Kngston. She left Bob on Omerah’s farm and agan

took the bus to the captal cty. Ths tme, nstead of searchng for her son

she was searchng for the fnancal means to properly care for hm.

BOB MARLEY

When Bob was aged 11, Omerah moved Bob to Cedella’s older sster’s

property, about ten mles away from the famly farm. Here Bob was n

charge of a herd of goats that he had to care for and look after. Lackng

any real supervson, Bob and hs cousn, Sledger, were constantly n trou-

ble. These troublemakng ways got the par sent back to Omerah’s farm,

and Bob spent the next two years under hs grandfather’s watchful eye.

In 1957, Cedella had acheved the fnancal stablty to allow for her

to call for Bob. However, stablty and prosperty are qute dfferent. Bob

arrved n Kngston to fnd that hs mother had been lvng n the cty’s

west-sde ghetto. Whle rural Jamacan lfe s hard, the west Kngston

ghettos were a testament to the underprvleged n the thrd world. Open

sewers, malnourshed chldren, dsease, and volence were the character-

stcs of the place that Bob came to know as Trench Town. Bob and hs

mother were spared the harshest part of the ghetto, however, and nstead

lved n the publc housng projects called the “government yard.”

Jamaca had earler enjoyed a tme of greater prosperty and economc

stablty. Pror to the sugarcane cutters’ strke n 1938, the sland’s

prosperous sugar and banana ndustres provded a decent lvng for most

of ts nhabtants. However, ths age of prosperty was forever lost due

to the strke. An outgrowth of the strke was the creaton of the frst Ja-

macan labor unons, and from the two strongest unons came the two

Jamacan poltcal partes. When Jamaca declared ndependence from

Brtan on August 6, 1962, these rval partes became locked nto a conflct

that contnues today.

The two partes are the Jamacan Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s

Natonal Party (PNP), and snce the early 1960s each electon year has

been marked by volence between the two sdes. The two partes are com-

pletely opposed n membershp and msson. The JLP was founded by the

rght-wng labor organzer Alexander Bustamante, who went on to be-

come Jamaca’s frst prme mnster. Bustamante’s party represented the

whte Brtsh and Anglo-Jamacan colonal class, the mercantle mddle

class composed of Chnese and Lebanese busnessmen and storeowners,

and the elte black Jamacans who worked for them. The PNP represented

the rest of the sland’s populaton, that s, the rural and urban underclass.

The PNP was begun by Norman Washngton Manley, who also went on

to become a Jamacan prme mnster.

After Bob arrved n Kngston, he and hs mother moved several tmes,

fnally settlng n an apartment at 19 Second Street. Whle Cedella was

at work n the houses of Kngston’s wealthy, Bob attended several schools

ncludng Ebenezer, Wesley, and St. Aloysus. Although Bob remaned

a strong student, he lost nterest n school and stopped attendng by the

COUNTRY BOY TO GHETTO YOUTH

tme he was 14. He then spent hs days playng soccer, hangng out wth

hs frends n the ghetto, and gettng nto trouble. He also began to get

nterested n musc. Another famly that lved n hs tenement yard had a

son named Nevlle O’Rley Lvngston (b. 1947), who went by the name

Bunny. Together, Bob and Bunny began sngng cover versons of songs

that they had learned on the rado and eventually even fashoned make-

shft nstruments out of found materals. Ther przed possesson was a

gutar made of copper wre, a sardne can, and a pece of bamboo.

An offshoot of Jamaca’s ndependence was the country’s collectve

search for a new natonal dentty. Ths search created an envronment

n whch a true Jamacan sound emerged. Untl ths tme, Jamacan musc

had conssted of mento (a ragged Jamacan calypso) and the Amercan

rhythm and blues that was broadcast from Lousana and Florda. The de-

velopment of a unquely Jamacan sound happened fast and took several

forms. The frst style that developed was called ska. Ths style has a fast

beat, shufflng rhythms, and a combnaton of elements from mento and

rhythm and blues. Ska also had an assocated dance, whch was a sort of

charade n whch the dancers acted out everyday domestc chores such

as cleanng. Although ska was soon replaced by rock steady, whch was a

slower, more electrc nstrument drven style, t dd not dsappear. In fact,

there have been several ska revvals. Ska’s second wave flourshed n the

Unted States and the Unted Kngdom n the late 1970s and the 1980s

and featured bands such as the Englsh Beat, Madness, the Selector, and

the Specals. The md-1990s saw the rse of ska’s thrd wave, wth bands

lke Less than Jake, the Urge, Sublme, No Doubt, and Reel Bg Fsh.

At the dawnng of the ska era, Bob and Bunny were most nterested n

the Amercan rhythm and blues sound. Bob partcularly lked Fats Dom-

no, Huey “Pano” Smth, and Earl Kng. He was also nfluenced by Lous

Jordan’s jump band style and the close vocal harmones of the Drfters

and the Impressons. Curts Mayfeld, the leader of the Impressons, had a

specal nfluence on Bob. Whle Bob rarely covered other people’s songs,

he actually ncorporated Mayfeld’s song “People Get Ready” nto hs own

song “One Love.” Once Bob embraced the sngng style of the Drfters

and the Impressons, he knew that he wanted to form a sngng group and

take a run at musc stardom.

Whle Bob dreamed of becomng a famous snger, Cedella worred

about her hgh school dropout son. She managed to help Bob get a job n

a weldng shop where he could learn a trade that could support hm. Whle

Bob never became a welder, the connectons that he made n the weldng

shop altered the course of hs lfe. One of the other welders was a bud-

dng muscan named Desmond Dekker. Dekker led the already modestly

BOB MARLEY

successful sngng group the Aces and he was connected to the Jamacan

recordng ndustry. In fact, by the end of the 1960s, Dekker’s group had an

nternatonal ht wth the song “Israeltes.”

Grew Up wailinG

Bob followed hs mother’s wshes and worked n the welder’s shop for

a tme, because he knew that n order to become a good snger he needed

tranng. He needed to learn the rudments of how to sng properly and the

theory behnd the constructon of musc. The man that was able to provde

hm wth both of those sklls lved just around the corner from Bob and

Bunny’s Second Street yard. Joe Hggs (1940–1999) was half of the suc-

cessful pre-ska sngng duo Hggs and Wlson. He had had success n the

early 1960s and was a well-respected member of the Jamacan musc scene.

However, unlke other successful artsts from the ghetto, Hggs choose not

to move out of Trench Town. Instead, he converted hs Second Street yard

nto an mpromptu musc school where asprng sngers were welcome to

partcpate n sngng classes. Hggs had perfect ptch and was an expert at

sngng n close harmony so he was a perfect match for Bob’s desres. More

mportantly, Hggs conducted hs classes for free and took all comers.

Bob, Bunny, and peter

Bob and Bunny began frequentng Hggs’s yard and soon were learn-

ng how to sng n harmony wth each other. Hggs also ntroduced the

par to a tall, slghtly older ghetto youth named Peter MacIntosh, who

would soon go by the name Peter Tosh (1944–1987). On Hggs’s sugges-

ton, Peter joned Bob and Bunny, makng the group a tro. Also, Peter

had the dstncton of beng the only ghetto youth n Hggs’s yard to have

a factory-made gutar, whch he soon taught Bob how to play. Together,

the tro formed a sngng group called the Teenagers. The group also n-

cluded two female sngers, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smth, and soon

added a fourth male snger n the form of Junor Brathwate. The group

worked well together to create vocal harmony as each snger’s voce was n

a dfferent range. Bob sang tenor, Bunny sang n a natural-soundng hgh

falsetto, and Peter sang bass. The group dd covers of those who had nflu-

enced them, ncludng Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and the Impressons.

Along wth ther sngng tutelage, Hggs also taught Bob how to con-

struct a song. Bob learned that there were three man song sectons, the

verse (where the story of the song unfolded), the chorus (a secton that

repeated the song’s most catchy materal), and the brdge (often composed

COUNTRY BOY TO GHETTO YOUTH

of a gutar solo). These sectons worked n a specfc order n the construc-

ton of a popular song. The verses and the chorus alternated untl about

two-thrds of the way through the song, when the brdge was nserted.

After the brdge, there were typcally repettons of the chorus materal

untl the song ended. Ths s the standard verse/chorus song form that was

as popular then as t s now.

In 1961, Bob began wrtng hs own songs and the next natural step was

to try to get them recorded. Decdng to try to be a solo snger, Bob ap-

proached Lesle Kong (1933–1971), who was a Chnese-Jamacan studo

owner and who refused to record the Teenagers. The Jamacan recordng

ndustry was n ts nfancy n the early 1960s. There were only a few stu-

dos and the studo owners dd not want to waste money on a recordng

that was not a guaranteed moneymaker. Also, the three man studos had

mmedately cornered the market n Jamacan recordng, so together Ken

Khour (Federal Studos), Duke Red (Treasure Isle Studos), and Clem-

ent “Coxsone” Dodd (Studo One) were already governng the style of

Jamacan popular musc. Havng been turned away by Kong, Bob enlsted

the help of hs weldng shop coworker Desmond Dekker. Dekker already

had an n at the studos and scored a ht for Kong’s Beverley’s label wth

hs song “Honour Your Mother and Father.” Dekker took Bob back to

Kong and he audtoned agan. Ths tme, Bob sang for Kong’s most recent

sensaton, the 14-year-old snger Jmmy Clff. Clff was suffcently m-

pressed by Bob’s sngng to persuade Kong to record a few of Bob’s songs.

Solo Singles

Bob recorded “Judge Not,” “One Cup of Coffee,” and “Terror” n 1962

on Kong’s Beverley’s label. Kong released these songs as 45-rpm sngles,

but wthout any marketng or rado play the sngles were not successful.

At 16, Bob was a Jamacan recordng artst, although not a successful one.

At the tme of the release, t was assumed that the three songs were all

orgnals wrtten by Bob. However, Chrstopher Farley has subsequently

dscovered that “One Cup of Coffee” was actually a cover of a song by

Claude Gray, an Amercan snger/songwrter.

One aspect of the Jamacan musc scene n the 1960s was the rse of the

talent contest. Lke the modern Battle of the Bands, varous Jamacan bus-

nesses sponsored talent contests to try to fnd the next bg ht. Bob sang

n several of these contests n the early 1960s and had a modest amount of

success. Even as hs career was begnnng to take off, however, Bob’s per-

sonal lfe was dffcult. Bob’s mother and Bunny’s father had an affar that

yelded a baby grl whom they called Pearl. Because ths created an even

BOB MARLEY

more dffcult monetary stuaton, Cedella decded to marry a more stable

man. In late 1962, Cedella marred Edward Booker, who was already estab-

lshed n a small Jamacan communty n Wlmngton, Delaware. Cedella

and Pearl relocated to Delaware wth Booker, and Bob stayed n Jamaca.

Cedella dd not have enough money for all of them to go; however, she dd

get Bob a passport and t was at ths tme that hs frst and mddle names

were reversed. Now homeless, 18-year-old Bob was squattng n varous

spots around Trench Town. By early 1963, Bob was lvng n the corner

of a ktchen on Frst Street wth hs frend Vncent “Tartar” Ford. Poor

and desttute, Bob and Tartar often sang to keep ther mnds off of beng

hungry. Quckly runnng out of optons, Bob rejoned the other members

of the Teenagers and abandoned all hope of beng a solo snger.

Another musc tutor entered the pcture when the Rastafaran hand

drummer Alvn “Seeco” Patterson began teachng the Teenagers the n-

trcaces of muscal rhythm. Patterson was already a professonal muscan

and had deep connectons to the Jamacan musc ndustry. In the summer

of 1963, Patterson took the Teenagers to audton for Clement “Coxsone”

Dodd, the owner of one of the best studos on the sland. Dodd’s studo

was called the Jamacan Recordng and Publshng Company Lmted, but

everyone n Trench Town knew t as Studo One. Patterson had already

been talkng the band up to Dodd, and the producer knew the sngs that

Bob had cut for Kong. The group performed one orgnal and three cover

songs, but Dodd dsmssed them, sayng that they needed more practce.

Peter, the most aggressve member of the group, told Dodd that they had

another song he should hear. The group performed Bob’s orgnal com-

poston, “Smmer Down,” and Dodd told them that he would record the

song. “Smmer Down” was a tmely ghetto anthem that warned the youth

to control ther tempers or the volence n the west Kngston ghetto would

only get worse.

For the recordng sesson, the band needed to decde on a name that

they could stck wth, and they chose the Walng Walers based on a pas-

sage n the Bble. As was the custom n the Jamacan recordng ndustry,

the group was backed by a collecton of studo nstrumentalsts that n-

cluded some now legendary players such as Ernest Rangln on gutar, Rco

Rodrquez on trombone, Arkland “Drumbago” Parks on drums, and Clu-

ett Johnson on bass. The product of the sesson was a fast ska verson of

“Smmer Down” that was domnated by horn lnes. All nvolved were

convnced that the song would be a ht. The song was released n tme

for Chrstmas 1963 and by early 1964 t had soared to number one on

the Jamacan charts. The song sat at the top of the chart for two months

and the Walng Walers were nstant stars.

Wth the success of “Smmer Down,” the Walng Walers became a fx-

ture at Studo One. The recorded regularly and Dodd even allowed Bob

to lve at the studo. The Walng Walers followed up ther early success

wth two more hts n 1964. The songs “It Hurts to Be Alone” and “Lone-

some Feelng” were both emotonal songs about the pan of loss and lone-

lness. In 1965, “I’m Stll Watng” was the next Walng Walers ht. The

song was recorded wth the close harmones of the Amercan doo-wop

style. Another Walng Walers manstay was to cover Amercan hts and

nfuse them wth sland style. They dd ths wth songs by the Drfters,

Aaron Nevlle, and others. Although the group never got reproducton

rghts from the orgnal songwrters, they never had legal problems be-

cause ther covers were never popular outsde Jamaca.

From Ska to rock Steady

Lvng n Dodd’s studo gave Bob the opportunty to practce the gutar

for hours. It also allowed hm to lsten to Dodd’s rhythm and blues and

soul records. Bob mmersed hmself n the Motown sound and spent hours

lstenng to the products from the soul studos of the Amercan southeast.

As Bob was learnng Amercan muscal style, the Jamacan ska style was

gvng way to rock steady. In rock steady, the beat speed s less than half as

fast as n ska. Also, the ska horn lne s gone and s replaced by keyboards.

The gutar s emphaszng the second and fourth beat of a four beat mea-

sure and the bass s emphaszng beats one and three. The Walng Walers

chapter 2

out oF the ghetto,

into the liMelight

BOB MARLEY

adopted ths style change and slowed ther songs down to accommodate

the new style.

In addton to ther studo tme, the Walng Walers spent the md-

1960s playng lve. They appeared on Vere John’s “Opportunty Hour”

and the Ward Theater’s “Battle of the Bands.” Growng up n the ghetto,

Bob had been gven the nckname “Tuff Gong” for hs no-nonsense street

atttude. Bob dsplayed hs temper after losng one of these talent contests

to a group called the Unques. Upon the announcement of the wnner,

Bob flew nto a rage and challenged a member of the wnnng band to a

fght.

An aspect of the new rock steady style was a subset of songs that were

assocated wth the “rude boy” lfestyle. Jamacan rude boys were the

ghetto youth who survved on ther wts and were often prone to short

tempers and volence. Bob often njected that rude boy swagger nto hs

songs. Addtonally, rude boy rock steady allowed the bass and drums to

domnate the song and dd not use the typcal ska horns. The Walng

Walers created a ghetto anthem wth ther 1965 sngle “Rude Boy.” The

song glorfed the rude boy atttude and ts lyrcs were flled wth boastng

and rude boy slang. Agan, Bob and the group had a bg ht. Even wth

ths orgnal musc success, the Walng Walers contnued to cover other

artsts’ songs wth Tom Jones’s “What’s New Pussycat” and the Beatles’

“And I Love Her.” It was also at ths tme that Bob began the practce,

whch lasted the rest of hs lfe, of nsertng Bblcal quotatons or para-

phrases nto hs songs.

The end of 1965 also marked the end of the Walng Walers. Junor

Brathwate left the group to move to Chcago and Kelso and Smth also

departed for greener pastures. Reduced to the core three members, the

Walng Walers also shortened ther name to just the Walers. Ths al-

teraton of the group sze foreshadowed the constantly changng lneup

that marked the entre exstence of the Walers band.

In early 1965, Bob met the female snger Rta Anderson (b. 1950). Rta

was the head of a female vocal tro called the Soulettes. She was also a

Sunday school teacher, church snger, and respected member of the ghetto

communty. Lke Bob, Rta also ganed access to Studo One and aspred

to be a recordng artst. Rta convnced Bob and Peter to arrange for an

audton for her group. Dodd lked what he heard, but n hs shrewd bus-

ness manner told the grls that they needed more work. He brought them

n on probaton and made Bob ther sngng coach and manager.

At frst, Bob was very strct wth the grls and they were scared of hm.

Soon, though, Bob softened and even admtted that he was attracted to

Rta. Bob expressed hs feelng for Rta by wrtng her love notes that

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

he asked Bunny to delver for hm. The par soon grew closer and the

resultng love affar lasted the rest of Bob’s short lfe. At the same tme,

Bob tred of lvng n Dodd’s studo. Seeng no other soluton, Rta took

Bob n to lve wth her, her nfant daughter Sharon, and her aunt and

uncle. However, her aunt and uncle were not agreeable to the stuaton

and threw the par out. Cooler heads soon prevaled; a small shack was

bult behnd Rta’s aunt and uncle’s house, and Bob, Rta, and Sharon all

lved there. Bob spent the rest of 1965 workng for Dodd, gettng closer to

Rta and Sharon, and tryng to advance hs fledglng musc career. At the

end of the year, the Walers learned ther frst mportant lesson about the

record ndustry. When they went to collect your annual royaltes for ther

record sales from Dodd, they were put off and told that ther lvng allow-

ance was ther royaltes. A fght ensued and Dodd fnally relented, gvng

the three sngers £60 to splt. Wth ths, Bob’s dstrust of record producers

began; t contnued to grow worse for the rest of hs lfe.

Bob planned a moneymakng trp to Delaware for early 1966. However,

he lad down one condton; before he left he wanted to marry Rta. On

February 10, 1966, Bob and Rta were marred. Frends of the par her-

alded the weddng as the unon of the two most promsng sngng groups

on the sland. Just has hs father had done, Bob left Rta the day after the

weddng to fnd work n the Unted States.

BoB and raStaFarianiSm

Bob’s stay n Delaware lasted for seven months. Durng ths tme, Bob

worked a varety of menal jobs. He was a laboratory assstant for the Du

Pont Chemcal Company and he had part-tme jobs as a parkng lot at-

tendant, fork lft drver, and dshwasher. The rest of Bob’s tme was spent

wrtng new songs. He dd not partcularly care for the fast pace or the

clmate n Delaware and looked forward to returnng to Jamaca and Rta.

Also whle n Delaware, Bob began hs converson from Catholcsm to

belef n Rastafaransm. Hs mother was appalled by the change, but was

powerless but to watch as Bob’s har grew nto dreadlocks and as he

talked ever ncreasngly about Hale Selasse and Ethopa.

The wearng of dreadlocks s one aspect of the belefs of Rastafaran ad-

herents. Sportng these uncombed locks of har has not been unversally

adopted by members of the group, but Rastas fnd precedents for ths habt

n passages from the Bble. Rastas beleve dreadlocks to be supported by

Levtcus 21:5 (“They shall not make baldness upon ther head, nether

shall they shave off the corner of ther beard, nor make any cuttngs n

the flesh”) and the Nazarte vow n Numbers 6:5 (“All the days of the

BOB MARLEY

vow of hs separaton there shall no razor come upon hs head: untl the

days be fulflled, n whch he separateth hmself unto the LORD, he shall

be holy, and shall let the locks of the har of hs head grow”). One reason

ths harstyle was adopted was to contrast the knky har of black men

wth the straghter har of whtes. Ths vsble separaton was also a part of

the Amercan cvl rghts movement when black Amercans worked ther

har nto large Afros.

Rastafaransm s one of the many syncretc relgons found n the Ca-

rbbean; others nclude Santera n Cuba and Voodoo n Hat. Relgous

syncretsm s the combnng of two dsparate relgous belefs, n ths case

the combnng of Catholcsm and elements of varous Afrcan relgons.

The Rastafarans, and ultmately the Marley famly, beleved the then

emperor of Ethopa, Hale Selasse I (hs name s translated as “Power of

the Trnty”), was n fact a rencarnaton of Jesus sent to earth to rescue

them from ther oppresson. Hale Selasse was baptzed Tafar Makonen

and was gven the ttle/rank of ras, whch loosely translates to duke or

head. He was a descendent of an old bloodlne that traced ts orgns back

to Menelk, who was the frst son of Solomon and Makeba the Queen

of Sheba. He was beleved to be the 225th descendant of ths bloodlne

and was varously referred to as Neguse Negest (Kng of Kngs), Lord of

Lords, Conquerng Lon of the Trbe of Judah, Elect of God, Lght of the

Unverse, and Emperor of Ethopa. The pan-Afrcanst and leader of the

Unversal Negro Improvement Assocaton, Marcus Garvey, found a bass

n the Old Testament for the belef that Hale Selasse was a rencarnaton

of Jesus and was the one who orgnally professed Selasse’s defcaton. Se-

lasse dd nothng durng hs lfe to dscredt ths noton and perpetuated

ths belef among Rastas all over the world.

Bob returned from Wlmngton n October wth plans to jump start hs

Jamacan recordng career. The Jamaca to whch he returned was dra-

matcally changed from the one he had left less than a year earler. In hs

absence, Hale Selasse I had vsted the sland and ths vst was heralded

by many as the comng of the Redeemer. Even Rta went to vew Selasse

as he passed by n a motorcade. Upon hs return, Rta told Bob that she

had seen the marks left on Selasse’s hands from beng hung on the cross,

the stgmata.

In addton to the Rastafaran fever grppng Jamaca’s underclass, the

musc of the sland had also changed. Whle Bob was n Delaware, the

Soulettes had scored a ht wth ther Studo One release “Ped Pper”

and the Walers had contnued to perform. The group had success wth

the sngles “Who Feels It,” “Dancng Shoes,” “Rock Sweet Rock,” “The

Toughest,” “Let Hm Go,” “Dreamland,” and others.

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

On Bob’s return, the Walers were also the frst Jamacan group to out-

wardly adopt the look of adherents of Rastafaransm. Bob’s har was

already startng to knot nto locks, and Peter had stopped shavng and

cuttng hs har; Bunny had been nterested n Rastafaran belefs earler

than the other two. Addtonally, the group began followng other tenets

of Rastafaransm. They adopted the strct Ital det, and engaged n actve

Bble readng and aggressve ganja smokng. Rasta sentments also began

appearng n ther musc wth Hale Selasse themed songs and Rasta ph-

losophy njected nto lyrcs.

The Rastafaran use of ganja (marjuana) has been a pont of conten-

ton wth the Western world snce Rastafaransm began. Rastas do not

smoke ganja for the hgh; the drug s as llegal n Jamaca as t s n the

Unted States and smokng ganja has led to many Rastas beng jaled.

Instead, Rastas consder ganja the “wsdom weed” of Rastafaransm and

smoke t to gan wsdom. It became part of ther relgous rtes (rtuals)

as a means for brngng oneself closer to Jah (God). Rastas found a bass

for the use of ganja n the Bble. Psalm 104:14 stated: “He causeth the

grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the servce of man.” Smokng

ganja became a sacrament of Rastafaransm. It was used at ther relgous

meetngs, called grounatons, and has been descrbed as the “healng of

the [Afrcan] naton.” Further, Rastas have a ceremonal approach to

smokng ganja through the use of a “chalce” (a rudmentary water ppe

that cools and flters the smoke). Ganja s not the only herb used n

Rastafaransm; there are numerous others used for medcnal and detary

purposes.

Another change that occurred wth Bob’s return from Delaware was

that the Walers splt wth Dodd’s Studo One. Frcton between Bob

and Dodd had long been gettng worse and the Walers’ Rastafaran ways

dd not ft wth Dodd’s mage for the studo. Also, the Walers had released

over a hundred sngles on the Studo One mprnt, fve of whch had

reached the Jamacan top 10. However, they had seen very lttle money

from all of ther record sales. Also, Dodd had been sellng Walers sngles

for ressue n England and makng a healthy proft. None of ths money

was gven to the Walers, and whle Dodd was gettng rch the Walers

contnued to struggle for subsstence.

Bob then replaced Dodd wth hs new sprtual gude, a Rastafaran

elder named Mortmer Planno. Planno dd not just ad Bob n understand-

ng the ways of Rastafaransm; he also became the Walers’ manager. As

Bob’s fath grew, so dd hs famly. Rta was pregnant and Bob decded to

move hs growng famly to the Malcolm famly farm n St. Ann. The

Marley famly stayed n St. Ann untl 1970. Durng ths perod, Bob only

BOB MARLEY

traveled to Kngston to conduct occasonal busness. The famly lved by

subsstence farmng and soon Rta delvered a baby grl named Cedella.

Throughout ths perod, Bob contnued to wrte songs.

Snce the Walers had splt wth Dodd, they were n need of a record

label. The group opted to form ther own label, whch they called Wal’N

Soul’M. The Walers released “Selasse Is the Chapel” and “Ths Man Is

Back.” For ther work n the studo, the Walers began employng the pro-

ducer Clancy Eccles (1940–2005). They then released the sngles “Nce

Tme” and “Str It Up.” For a bref perod everythng went well. However,

at the end of 1967, the stampng machne that actually made the Wal-

ers sngles broke and the Wal’N Soul’M mprnt folded. The group’s bad

experence wth Dodd and the trouble wth ther recorded stamper fore-

shadowed the dffcultes that they would have for the rest of the band’s

exstence.

The year 1968 dd not treat the band much better. Peter was arrested

for takng part n a protest aganst the whte supremacst government n

Rhodesa, Afrca, and Bob and Bunny were each temporarly jaled for

marjuana possesson. Bob served a month n jal, but Bunny was sen-

tenced to a year because he was caught wth a sgnfcant quantty of the

drug. The group turned ths opposton nto the materal on whch they

based ther songs, makng a postve out of a negatve stuaton. Also, the

Marley famly ended the year on a hgh note when Rta gave brth to a

son that they named Davd. Although he was named Davd Marley, he

quckly earned the nckname Zggy and that s how he s known to the

world today.

The end of the 1960s was a tumultuous tme for Bob and the Wal-

ers. The group pad careful attenton to the cvl rghts movement n the

Unted States and dentfed wth the statements made by Martn Luther

Kng, Jr. They also deepened ther fath n Rastafaransm. Planno took

Bob to vst a Rasta enclave n Jones Town where he learned of a group of

Rastas who held themselves to an even strcter doctrne and set of prac-

tces. The members of the group called themselves the Twelve Trbes of

Israel and spent long hours n grounatons that were flled wth prayng,

drummng, chantng, and smokng ganja. Bob gradually became closely

assocated wth the Twelve Trbes. Because he was born n February, Bob

became part of the trbe of Joseph. Through the Twelve Trbes, Bob met

the Afrcan Amercan pop snger Johnny Nash. Nash had an nterna-

tonal ht wth ths song “I Can See Clearly Now,” and through hs con-

nectons, Nash helped the Walers reach a larger audence.

Nash and hs busness partner, Danny Sms, began operatng a record

label n 1964. The orgnal label, called JoDa, was unsuccessful. However,

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

wth ther growng connectons n the Carbbean, Nash and Sms opened

the Cayman Musc label. The label was based n the Cayman Islands and

due to the relatve cheapness of makng recordngs n the Carbbean,

Nash and Sms’s new company prospered. The par also realzed that they

could make sgnfcant money exportng Jamacan musc to the rest of the

world. Bob and the Walers audtoned for Nash and Sms and a recordng

agreement was reached. However, the group could not go drectly nto the

studo because Bunny was stll n jal.

The Walers were excted about the prospect of workng wth Nash and

Sms, as the par wanted to promote the band on an nternatonal level.

Wth the negotatng help of Planno, the Walers and Cayman Musc

entered nto an agreement n whch the band members were hred as song

wrters for the label. Wth Bunny’s release from prson n September of

1968, the group began recordng for Cayman Musc and over the next

four years cut more than eghty sngles.

In early 1969, Sms launched the JAD Records label and used t to record

more early Walers sngles, such as “Mellow Mood,” “Put It On,” “How

Many Tmes,” and “There She Goes.” These songs all fell nto the rock

steady style and dd not dsplay the Rastafaran lyrcs that the group would

become known for. Early 1969 brought another change to the Jamacan

popular musc style. The rock steady beat slowed down even further and

rock steady became reggae. The group Toots and the Maytals ushered n

the new sound wth the song “Do the Reggay,” and soon the sound swept

the sland. Concdentally, as the sound that the Walers would become

famous for was startng to gel, the band was beng gven greater freedom

from the constrants of ther Cayman and JAD contracts.

Wth ther freedom from Cayman and JAD, Bob and the Walers re-

turned to the studo of Bob’s frst producer, Lesle Kong. Wth Kong, the

Walers recorded enough materal for an album. The Walers used Kong

because he was recognzed as one of the hottest producers on the nland

at the tme and he was also fosterng the new reggae sound. The newly

recorded songs ncluded “Soul Shakedown Party,” “Stop That Tran,”

“Cauton,” “Go Tell It on the Mountan,” “Soon Come,” “Can’t You

See,” “Soul Captve” “Cheer Up” “Back Out,” and “Do It Twce.” Kong

then ssued these songs as sngles n Jamaca and England, but none of

them was commercally successful. Kong then nformed the group that he

planned to release the materal as an album called The Best of the Wailers.

Ths news sent the Walers nto a rage as they all beleved that ther best

materal was yet to come. Aganst the group’s protests, the album was re-

leased. However, before Kong could reap any benefts, he ded of a massve

heart attack at age 38.

BOB MARLEY

lee “Scratch” perry

Agan dsllusoned by the Jamacan record ndustry, Bob planned an-

other trp to Delaware to make enough money to launch hs own record

label and thereby retan control over the Walers’ musc. In the sprng of

1969, Bob agan went to lve wth hs mother. Ths tme Bob worked at

a Chrysler automoble plant n addton to holdng down several other

jobs. When he returned to Jamaca several months later, the money that

he had made went to supportng hs famly. Nevertheless, Bob was ready

to return to the studo and took the Walers back to Studo One to work

for Clement “Coxsone” Dodd. The second seres of recordngs wth Dodd

was even better than the frst, as Dodd had employed a new sound eng-

neer, Lee “Scratch” Perry (b. 1936).

The unon of the Walers and Perry proved to be a good one and to-

gether they produced a unque sound. The producton was rougher than

t had been wth Kong, Bob’s vocals were left raw, and the bass and the

drum were the lead nstruments. The gutar played offbeat chocked-chord

chops and the sounds was more remnscent of the Walers’ rude boy days.

The backng band was Perry’s studo group called the Upsetters (the Up-

setter was another of Perry’s ncknames). Two members of ths band ended

up playng wth Bob untl he ded. The Barrett brothers, Aston (“Famly

Man”) on bass, and Carlton (“Carle”) on drums, became the rhythm sec-

ton for the Walers.

In late 1969 and early 1970, the Barrett brothers, Perry, and the Wal-

ers worked n the studo to create the classcs “Duppy Conqueror” and

“Mr. Brown.” Both songs were released as sngles wth ther own dub

versons on the B-sdes. The Jamacan practce of dubbng referred to

makng a sngle that had the orgnal song on the A-sde and the song

wthout the lyrcs on the B-sde. Ths was done so that a DJ at sound

system partes could “toast,” or supply hs own words, over the lyrc-less

sde to whp the crowd nto a frenzy and then turn the record over and

play the song n the complete verson. The sound systems were gant

moble stereos that were used at partes around the sland.

At the begnnng of the 1970s, the Walers agan launched ther own

record label. Called Tuff Gong, after Bob’s nckname, the new label faled

as fast as the Wal’N Soul’M mprnt had. Perry, who had separated hmself

from Dodd and opened hs own record shop and label, nvted the Walers

to work on hs new Upsetter mprnt. The materal created by the Walers

wth Perry was some of the band’s best early materal, ncludng “Small

Axe,” “Corner Stone,” “Don’t Rock My Boat,” and “It’s Alrght.” The

Walers/Perry collaboraton lasted through the early part of the 1970s and

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

yelded over a hundred tracks. Mature Walers/Perry materal reflected

the group’s Rastafaran nterests wth songs such as “Lvely Up Yourself,”

“Kaya,” and “400 Years.” “Trench Town Rock” was released n 1971 and

agan put the Walers on the Jamacan charts.

In 1971, the Walers fnshed ther work wth Perry. The group was look-

ng for another creatve outlet. Bob learned that Nash was gong to work

on a move soundtrack n Sweden and Nash asked Bob to come wth hm.

On the way, Bob dropped Rta and the chldren off at hs mother’s, and

Rta found work as a nurse n a Delaware hosptal.

After Bob and Nash’s work on the Swedsh flm score was complete,

the par traveled to London, where Nash was tryng to broker a recordng

contract wth the CBS. When the deal was struck, Bob brought the rest of

the Walers to London, where he beleved that Sms was workng a smlar

deal for the Walers. The Walers recorded n the CBS studos, where they

worked as Nash’s backng band. Whle a separate deal dd not materalze

for the Walers, they dd get more recordng experence and returned to

Jamaca wth hgh hopes for future Englsh success.

Back n Jamaca, the Walers recorded at Harry J’s studo and Dynamc

Sounds. For Harry J’s owner Harry Johnson, the Walers recorded at a vg-

orous pace for four months. At ths tme, the Walers ncluded Bob, Peter,

and Bunny plus the Barrett brothers and a 15-year-old keyboard player

named Tyrone Downe. An unoffcal member of the band was added n

the form of Alan “Skll” Cole. Cole was one of Jamaca’s most talented

soccer players and he was a great ft as Bob’s traner and confdant.

The success of “Trench Town Rock” created a great demand for the

Walers around the sland. It also marked the end to songwrtng that

was not of substance. Also, for the frst tme the Walers made sgnfcant

money from one of ther hts. Wth Bob’s share, Bob and Rta establshed

Tuff Gong Records, a record shop where they sold Walers releases. In ad-

dton to the money from “Trench Town Rock,” Perry was stll releasng

Walers sngles and cuttng the band n on the profts. Bob agan ren-

vested hs share and opened Tuff Gong Productons, whch was meant to

keep up wth the demand for Walers materal. There followed another

perod of productvty that produced songs such as “Satsfy My Soul,”

“Mr. Chatterbox,” “Natural Mystc,” “Concrete Jungle,” and “Reggae on

Broadway.”

Whle Bob was busy makng records and runnng the producton com-

pany, he was kept n balance by Cole who had hm on a schedule of exer-

cse that ncluded a great deal of soccer playng and physcal actvty. Bob

was also a full-fledged Rastafaran and ate only accordng to the Ital det.

Ital was the Rasta det of organc foods, no meat other than fsh, no salt,

BOB MARLEY

and no alcohol. Durng ths perod of extreme actvty, the bond of the

orgnal three Walers, Bob, Peter, and Bunny, started to fray.

It was also at ths tme that Bob began hs long and tumultuous re-

latonshp wth the Jamacan poltcal scene. He dd ths by gvng the

Walers’ backng to the People’s Natonal Party (PNP). At ths tme, the

PNP was led by Mchael Manley, who had been workng to create all-

ances wth the underclass and the Rastafarans. Manley was the one who

brought Hale Selasse I to Jamaca and some of Manley’s popularty wth

the Rastas came from hs relatonshp wth the Ethopan ruler. As a show

of support, Bob and Rta rode on the PNP Muscal Bandwagon, on whch

they played and sang songs. Ths showed everyone on the parade route

that the Walers were supportng the PNP n the 1972 general electon.

iSland recordS and chriS Blackwell

In the fall of 1971, Bob and the Walers returned to England to con-

tnue the pursut of a CBS contact for the Walers. Wth Nash’s help, Bob

and the Walers launched a three-week CBS-sponsored tour. The tour

was successful, but dd not lead to record sales for the Whalers. Matters

were complcated when Nash and Sms dsappeared unexpectedly. Ths

left the Walers stranded n England wth no ncome or plans. In the face

of ths bad stuaton, Bob took matters nto hs own hands and went to

meet wth the head of the London-based Island Records Company, Chrs-

topher Blackwell. Blackwell already had a sold roster of talent ncludng

Steve Wnwood’s group Traffc, Cat Stevens, Free, Kng Crmson, and

Jethro Tull. Although Blackwell specalzed n rock and roll bands, he had

a deep nterest n the Carbbean musc scene and he was already aware of

the Walers’ musc.

In the wake of Bob and Blackwell’s meetng, the record producer

fronted the band £8,000 sterlng, whch was enough money to get back

to Jamaca and return to the studo. Blackwell’s deal wth the Walers was

that they would produce a full-length reggae album n exchange for the

money. Rta and the chldren returned from Delaware and wth everyone

back n Jamaca, the Walers went back nto the studo.

catch a Fire

The 1972 recordng sesson yelded the Catch a Fire album. “Catch

a Fre” was Jamacan slang for someone gettng n trouble or “catchng

hell.” The album was recorded at Dynamc Sound, Harry J’s, and Randy’s

studos. The result was a collecton of nne songs ncludng “Concrete

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

Jungle,” “Slave Drver,” “400 Years,” “Stop That Tran,” “Baby We’ve Got

a Date,” “Str It Up,” “Knky Reggae,” “No More Trouble,” and “Mdnght

Ravers.” The album tself was groundbreakng n format. Up to ths tme,

reggae songs had been released as sngles wth an A and B sde. Wth

Catch a Fire, the format changed to the long-playng record, whch al-

lowed greater coheson n the release of blocks of songs.

The orgnal pressng of the album reflected the Walers’ creatve

sprt. The frst vnyl edton of the album depcted a large stanless steel

Zppo lght wth the ttle engraved on t. The album jacket was hnged

on the left-hand sde and revealed a cardboard cutout of the trademarked

Zppo lghter wndproof mechansm wth a flame shootng out of ts top.

Illustratve of the album’s ttle, these flames also foreshadowed the Wal-

ers’ rse to nternatonal stardom. The Zppo lghter jacket was unque,

but also expensve to produce. As a result, the Zppo lghter edton was

held to only 20,000 unts. Subsequent pressngs of the album were re-

leased wth a tradtonal package that dsplayed a large pcture of Bob

takng a ht off a large cone-shaped splff (Jamacan slang for a marjuana

cgarette).

For ths album, the Walers were Bob, Peter, Bunny, Aston and Carle

Barrett, and a varety of Jamacan studo nstrumentalsts. Addtonal vo-

cals were added by Rta and her frends Judy Mowatt and Marca Grffths.

The collecton of three female backup sngers would later become known

as the I-Threes. Wth the basc recordng done, Bob took the master tapes

to London for mxng and overdubbng. At Blackwell’s request, rock and

roll style overdubs were added by gutarst Wayne Perkns (who was fa-

mous for hs work at Muscle Shoals studos) and keyboard player John

“Rabbt” Bundrck (who was also well known for hs work wth Johnny

Nash and the rock bands Free and The Who). Overdubbng s the process

of addng new tracks to an already “complete” recordng. Wth Perkns

and Bundrck’s overdubs, the record took on a more manstream rock

sound, whch Blackwell thought would allow t to reach a larger aud-

ence. Blackwell’s nstncts were correct and although t was not a bg com-

mercal success, Catch a Fire brought the Walers to the manstream and

changed the way that reggae musc was made and marketed.

Also n 1972, Rta gave brth to another son, whom the Marleys called

Stephen. Wth ths new addton, the famly moved out of Kngston to a

small house n Bull Bay, east of the cty. Ths move sgnaled a change for

the Marley famly; they had made t out of the ghetto and would never

lve there agan. Sgnfcantly, Bob often preferred to stay n Kngston,

at Blackwell’s house at 56 Hope Road, nstead of returnng to Bull Bay

wth Rta and the chldren each nght. Ths tme spent apart from Rta

BOB MARLEY

afforded Bob the opportunty to begn hs strng of extramartal affars.

Through hs adult lfe, Bob fathered chldren wth several women other

than Rta, though the couple remaned marred untl Bob’s death. In the

early 1970s, Bob fathered chldren wth Patrca Wllams (a son named

Robbe), Janet Hunt (a son named Rohan), and Janet Bowen (a daughter

named Karen). The year 1972 also saw the electon of Mchael Manley

as the prme mnster of Jamaca and wth hm came hopes for a brghter

future for the Jamacan underclass.

Part of Bob’s deal wth Blackwell was that the Walers retaned all the

Carbbean rghts to ther recordngs. Ths left Bob free to ssue sngles

from Catch a Fire on the sland through hs Tuff Gong record shop. Al-

though hs success was stll modest compared to what t would be by the

end of the decade, Bob was now recognzed everywhere he went on the

sland. Further, wth the release of Catch a Fire, t dawned on the Wal-

ers that they were now professonal muscans who would no longer have

to work other jobs to make a lvng. In the wake of ther frst full-length

album, the Walers prepared to mount a tour of England and the Unted

States. For ths, they needed a full-tme keyboard player, as Downe was

stll too young to travel wth the band. The group found ts new keyboard

player n the Now Generaton band wth the successful recrutment of

Earl “Wya” Lndo.

CatCh a Fire toUr

The Catch a Fire tour began n Aprl 1973 wth the group’s arrval n

London. Amazngly, the Walers found another release credted to them

for sale. The African Herbsman album was a collecton of several of the

group’s more popular songs that had been recorded for Lee “Scratch”

Perry. Perry had lcensed the materal to Lee Goptal, who had subse-

quently released the album wthout the approval of the band. The record

ncluded the songs “Lvely Up Yourself,” “Small Axe,” “Duppy Con-

queror,” “Trench Town Rock,” “Afrcan Herbsman,” “Keep On Movng,”

“Fussng and Fghtng,” “Stand Alone,” “All n One” (a medley of “Bend

Down Low,” “Nce Tme,” “One Love,” “Smmer Down,” “It Hurts to be

Alone,” “Lonesome Feelng,” “Love and Affecton,” “Put It On,” and

“Duppy Conqueror”), “Don’t Rock My Boat,” “Put It On,” “Sun Is Shn-

ng,” “Kaya,” “Rdng Hgh,” “Bran Washng,” and “400 Years.” Although

the release of ths album was not sanctoned by the Walers, t dd help

to mantan nterest n the band n between ts frst and second Island

Records releases. Whle n England, the Walers played 19 shows at clubs

and unverstes.

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

The Walers returned to London at the end of the tour and whle there,

they made appearances on the BBC programs The Old Grey Whistle Test

and Top Gear. Elated by ther newfound exposure, the Walers returned to

Jamaca for some much-needed rest. A problem had developed durng the

Englsh leg of the Walers’ tour, as Bunny suffered whle tourng due to hs

strct adherence to the Ital det. Thus, when the Walers returned to Ja-

maca, Bunny nformed Bob that he would not be jonng the band for the

North Amercan leg of the tour. Bob consulted wth Peter and together

they decded to recrut Joe Hggs, ther old sngng nstructor, to replace

Bunny for the tour. Another dffculty that the Walers faced was that

they needed a full-tme manager to run the now busy band’s schedule.

Blackwell hred Lee Jaffe to fll ths role and Jaffe set off for the Unted

States to book shows for the upcomng tour. The Amercan leg of the tour

featured a long stand at Paul’s Mall n Boston, Massachusetts, followed

by a move to New York. The New York shows were all booked at Max’s

Kansas Cty, and the Walers played a week of ggs as the opener for Bruce

Sprngsteen.

Burnin’

By 1973, the Bob Marley and the Walers had a successful album out

wth a major label and had mounted a tour of England and North Amer-

ca. However, they stll had not acheved the type of manstream com-

mercal success that Bob was convnced that they were capable of. The

next step toward that success was taken wth the November 1973 release

of the band’s second Island release, Burnin’. Ths release was less heavly

modfed by Blackwell and reflected the Walers’ nterests n Rastafaran-

sm and Jamacan poltcs.

The cover of the album was a slhouette of the sx core Walers’ heads

burned nto the sde of a wooden box. The pcture ncluded Bob, Peter,

Bunny, the Barrett brothers, and Lndo, and the back of the record jacket

had a large pcture of Bob takng a drag off a large splff. The tracks for

ths album were recorded at Harry J’s n Kngston and mxed at the Island

Records studos n London. The only muscan on the album who was

not pctured on the record’s cover was the hand drummer Alvn “Seeco”

Patterson.

The album conssted of 10 tracks that ncluded “Get Up, Stand Up,”

“Hallelujah Tme,” “I Shot the Sherff,” “Burnn’ and Lootn’,” “Put It

On,” “Small Axe,” “Pass It On,” “Duppy Conqueror,” “One Foundaton,”

and “Rasta Man Chant.” Ths lst represented some old and some new

materal. Addtonally, Bob, Peter, and Bunny each contrbuted songs that

BOB MARLEY

they had wrtten separately. The album as a unt was a call to acton to the

Jamacan underclass. The Walers were warnng the ghetto dwellers that

they needed to take charge of ther own destny nstead of leavng t n the

hands of those who dd not have ther best nterests at heart.

Burnin’ toUr

After the album was released, the Walers agan mounted a tour to

support t. In an attempt to boost the dsappontng sales of ths release n

the Unted States, Bob and the Walers joned the n-progress Sly and the

Famly Stone tour of the country. Hggs agan replaced Bunny, as he had

vowed not to tour after hs experence on the Catch a Fire tour. Ths tour

was a lucky break for the group, as Sly and the Famly Stone were already

a popular band n Amerca and they were tourng after ther successful

Fresh release. Unfortunately, the Walers were fred from the tour after just

four shows. The reasons for the frng were twofold. Frst, the Walers were

reportedly outplayng the headlners, and the Sly and the Famly Stone

crowd were not acceptng of the Walers’ style of musc. The frng agan

left the Walers stranded n a strange place.

Ths tme, the group was stuck n Las Vegas and needed to fnd a way to

Calforna to make a scheduled appearance on KSAN-FM. They dd man-

age to get to San Francsco and make ther appearance, beng met by an

enthusastc audence that they had attracted on ther prevous tour. Au-

dences on the Calforna coast mantaned a specal affnty for Bob and

the Walers throughout the exstence of the band. The KSAN broadcast

was presented from the Record Plant n Sausalto and comprsed a rousng

set of songs. The broadcast began wth Bob, Peter, and Hggs performng

“Rasta Man Chant” acoustcally wth just tradtonal Rastafaran hand

drums as accompanment. They then went nto full band versons of a

seres of songs from the frst two Island albums.

The end of 1973 found the Walers back n Jamaca preparng to em-

bark on the Englsh leg of the Burnin’ tour. Ths tme Hggs also stayed

n Jamaca, whch left Bob and Peter to front the band. The reduced-

strength Walers played to small crowds who were not excted about the

performances. The group played 11 shows n England, appearng at clubs

and unverstes. The poor recepton was made worse when Bob and Peter

got nto a fst fght and Lndo announced that he was leavng the group to

return to the Now Generaton band. Wth ths, the Walers headed n op-

poste drectons, leavng Bob n London to contemplate hs next move.

The year 1974 dawned wth Bob back n Harry J’s studo n Kngston,

where he was recordng new materal wth a backng band that conssted

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

only of the Barrett brothers and a keyboard player named Bernard “Touter”

Harvey. The tradtonal tght vocal harmones usually produced by Bob,

Peter, and Bunny were now beng sung by the female vocal tro, the

I-Threes (Rta, Judy, and Marca.). Ths relatvely strpped down Walers

unt worked on new songs that reflected on Bob’s ghetto youth as a means

of escapng the troubles of the present.

The group caught a break when they were asked to open for Amercan

Motown sngng sensaton Marvn Gaye when he played a beneft show

on the sland. The concert was sold out and was an excellent opportu-

nty for the group to feature ts new materal. At show tme, the Walers

band that took the stage agan ncluded Bob, Peter, and Bunny, plus the

Barrett brothers’ rhythm secton and Tyrone Downe on keyboards. The

Walers’ performance was a bg ht and afterward Marvn Gaye’s manager,

Don Taylor, offered to manage them. Taylor was able to gve Bob hs most

elusve desre, a guarantee of success n the Unted States, and ultmately

Bob agreed to brng Taylor nto the fold as the Walers’ manager.

SearchinG For croSSover SUcceSS

Bob was excted about the possblty of crossover success n the Unted

States, but he was dsmayed that Peter and Bunny were now obvously

plannng to leave the Walers permanently. Peter had long suffered from

lack of exposure as Bob was the materal front man for the band, and

Peter’s own more mltant sentments were not beng used on the early

Walers records. Bunny also wanted greater freedom to release hs own

songs, and ths, coupled wth hs refusal to tour, put hm at odds wth Bob’s

plans for the band’s future.

Wth the band n a state of crss, Bob bused hmself preparng the next

Walers album. Ttled Natty Dread, the thrd Walers and Island product

was the frst wthout Peter and Bunny. The record was a turnng pont for

Bob, as he was fnally strkng out on hs own as the prncpal songwrter

of the band. In addton to Bob, the Barrett brothers, and Touter, the

I-Threes provded vocal harmony. Uncredted performers on the album

ncluded Lee Jaffe on harmonca, and three horn players named Glen da

Costa, Davd Madden, and Tommy McCook (the horn lne of the Zap

Pow band).

Wth Bob now actng as a vocal solost wth a backng band, the new

album art reflected hs central role. He began the album wth hs approx-

maton of a Yoruba lookout call that sgnaled the dawn of the new Wal-

ers band. The Yoruba are a group of people n West Afrca that make up

about 30 percent of the populaton of Ngera, Benn, and Togo. The Natty

BOB MARLEY

Dread album cover was an arbrushed pcture of Bob alone n the mddle

of an abstract background of several colors, and the back of the album

also depcted Bob only. As was the case wth the prevous Island Records

releases, the recordng was done n Jamaca and the mxng was done n

London, under Blackwell’s careful supervson. An oddty of ths album

was that t exhbted the Walers’ only use of a drum machne. Drum ma-

chne technology only became wdely avalable n the early 1970s and the

Walers’ experment wth t ndcated ther nterest n new technology.

Whle n London for the mxng sessons, Bob and Famly Man found

the next Walers’ gutarst, Al Anderson. Anderson had been playng n

an Afro-rock band called Shakatu. However, he agreed to supply some

gutar overdubs on “Lvely Up Yourself ” and “No Woman, No Cry.” After

ths studo experence, Blackwell offered Anderson the job of gutarst

for the Walers. At frst Anderson dd not want to gve up hs poston

n Shakatu, but he soon realzed that the Walers were gong to be a bg

success. When Anderson agreed to jon the Walers, he became the frst

non-Jamacan member of the band. As such he had to learn the reggae

style from the ground up and spent hours rehearsng wth Famly Man

learnng the proper strummng style.

natty DreaD

Released n 1974, Natty Dread was a collecton of old and new songs.

The songs on the album were “Lvely up Yourself,” “No Woman, No

Cry,” “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry),” “Rebel Musc (Three O’Clock

Road Block),” “So Jah Seh,” “Natty Dread,” “Bend Down Low,” “Talkn’

Blues,” and “Revoluton.” The songs collected for ths release exhbt

Bob’s nterests most drectly, as they cast Bob as a Rasta preacher who

s dscussng prophecy and revoluton. Addtonally, Bob llustrated hs

Rasta-based dstrust of the Catholc Church. On the song “Talkn’ Blue,”

Bob dscussed bombng a church, as the Rastas beleve that the Pope,

and by extenson standard Catholcsm, are part of the system n place to

keep them down. Ths negatve system was descrbed by the Rastas wth

the Bblcal language of Babylon. Thus, when Rasta sngers dscussed the

Babylon system, they were talkng about anythng that was oppressve to

the Rastafaran fathful.

Another feature of Rastafaransm that Bob made great use of was the

purposeful msuse of the Englsh language. Bob could speak plan Englsh

when he chose to, but he often veled hs meanngs by sngng n the Ja-

macan dalect or through the Rastafaran practce of alterng language.

For example, Rasta beleved that Hale Selasse I was Jesus rencarnated

OUT OF THE GHETTO, INTO THE LIMELIGHT

to save them from the Babylon system. The fathful took the Roman nu-

meral I at the end of Selasse’s name and renterpreted t as the captal

letter I. Thus, when Rastas say somethng about “I and I” they are talkng

about themselves and ther god. Many of Bob’s songs made use of ths

“I and I” language as a means of affrmng hs fath.

Bob’s growng mltant stance was also evdent on Natty Dread. The

song “Revoluton” was self-explanatory. Smply, Bob was sayng that f

the youth were gong to create a change n ther lves they had to do

t for themselves, and watng for the government, or anyone else, to do t

for them was a waste of tme. “Rebel Musc (Three O’Clock Road Block)”

was another of Bob’s more ncendary songs. The song was autobograph-

cal and descrbed an ncdent n whch Bob and Famly Man got caught

n a road block and knew that ther car would be searched due to ther

dreadlocks. As the song went, they had to throw away ther ganja to avod

beng arrested. Other lyrcs n the song ncluded Bob tellng the lsteners

that they can examne hs lfe because he knows that he s rghteous and

fathful to Jah (the word used to refer to the Rastas’ God, Hale Selasse).

After the Natty Dread release, Bob was ntervewed by the Jamacan

daly newspaper. The photographer present at the ntervew was a UCLA

graduate named Nevlle Garrck. In the ntervew, Bob dscussed the need

for more tourng to support the Walers records. After the ntervew, Bob

and Garrck struck up a frendshp that resulted n Garrck becomng the

art drector for the Walers.

In the wake of Natty Dread, the Walers began recevng some crt-

cal acclam n the Unted States. Ths was the type of support that dd

not earn them any money n the short term, but lad the groundwork for

future success. In late 1974, Bob lcensed the recordng rghts of hs song

“Slave Drver” to Taj Mahal, an Amercan blues snger who was enjoyng

a perod of prosperty. Bob also lcensed “Guava Jelly” to Barbra Stresand

for her 1974 Butterfly album. Ths dd not brng the band much money,

but t certanly ncreased the level of exposure to ts musc. The most

mportant agreement that Bob made that year was grantng Erc Clapton

(the Brtsh blues gutar genus) the recordng rghts to the song “I Shot

the Sherff,” whch appeared on Clapton’s 1974 album, 461 Ocean Bou-

levard. In Clapton’s capable hands, Bob’s song went on to be a number

one ht n the Unted States and soared to number nne n the UK. Bob’s

musc was played on Amercan and Englsh rado and he ganed serous

respect from the rock and roll crtcs.

As Bob’s star contnued to rse, any hope for reconclaton wth the

orgnal members of the vocal tro faded nto the dstance. Peter and

Bunny were both workng on solo materal of ther own. Peter was layng

BOB MARLEY

the groundwork for the album that would become the 1976 Legalize It,

and Bunny was puttng together the songs for hs 1976 Blackheart Man

album. Addtonally, Peter launched hs own Intel-Dplo record label

(Intel-Dplo standng for Intellgent Dplomat).

Undaunted, Bob Marley and the Walers began 1975 wth a major gg.

The Walers were asked to open for the Jackson Fve when they played

a concert n Kngston. Ths was Bob’s frst opportunty to really come to

the front of the band and dsplay hs own personalty and charsma. The

appearance also featured the debut of Al Anderson on lead gutar and was

a huge success. In February 1975, Natty Dread was offcally released as the

thrd Island/Walers product and the album receved postve feedback

from the press n the UK and the Unted States. Wth ths success, the

new and mproved Walers became an nternatonal success.

As the Walers’ fame grew, so dd Bob’s concerns for the management

of the band and ts ncreasng revenues. Bob had already worked out a

deal wth Don Taylor to become the Walers’ manager, but was concerned

wth Taylor takng a cut of the band’s earnngs. Bob’s bad experences wth

musc ndustry nsders had tanted hs opnon of Taylor, but he took a

chance on the would-be manager. Now Bob also needed to be able to

more carefully look after the band’s earnngs. Ths job was taken up by

Bob’s Jamacan lawyer Dane Jobson. The Walers also needed an opera-

tons headquarters. For ths, Bob essentally took over Blackwell’s house

at 56 Hope Road n Kngston. Here the band had rehearsal space and a

central locaton for ts headquarters. Wth the band membershp and ts

supportng forces establshed, the group prepared to tour n support of

Natty Dread.

Actng as the Walers’ manager, Taylor arranged a major North Amercan

and a bref Englsh tour for the band. For the purposes of ths tour, Tyrone

Downe was agan recruted to work wth the group. As Bob was preparng

to feature hs talents on the world stage, he was also ganng notorety wth

regard to hs personal lfe. On February 26, 1976, Bob’s eghth chld was

born. Ky-Man Marley was the product of Bob’s affar wth Anta Belnavs,

who was a well-known Carbbean table tenns champon. Bob was also

cultvatng a relatonshp wth the Jamacan beauty queen Cndy Break-

speare. Ths relatonshp produced another son n 1978, named Daman,

and a huge scandal. Bob and Breakspeare’s relatonshp lasted for several

years and n the course of ths tme the beauty queen went on to become

Mss World 1976. The meda whrlwnd that surrounded the couple was

largely based on race. The mxture of whte and black, and Breakspeare’s

beauty queen good looks coupled wth Bob’s ever-lengthenng dread-

locks, helped to fuel the meda crcus.

In June 1975, the Walers embarked on the North Amercan leg of

the Natty Dread tour. In addton to Bob, the Barrett brothers, Downe,

the I-Threes, and Seeco, the Walers’ entourage also ncluded Taylor and

Nevlle Garrck (as artstc and lghtng drector). A Rasta elder named

Mkey Dan also joned the group to provde Ital food, along wth Dave

Harper (equpment manager) and Tony “Tony G” Garnett (dsc jockey

and hype man). The huge tourng retnue ndcated the level of fame that

the Walers had already acheved. They were now tourng n style wth the

type of support that allowed them to ext ther hotel room, be chauffeured

chapter 3

FroM top oF the roCk to

top oF the world

BOB MARLEY

to the venue, and walk on stage to perform (a sound check was usually

requred) wthout any settng up and tearng down.

natty DreaD toUr

Durng ths tour, Bob establshed hs on-agan/off-agan relatonshp

wth the press. Bob’s frends and band mates have reported that he very

rarely refused an ntervew, belevng that any press publcty was good for

the band. However, he also had a reputaton as beng hard to ntervew.

He was always glad to dscuss the band and Rastafaransm, but when

questons turned to hs personal lfe, Bob was more evasve. In fact, when

questoned on ths topc, Bob was known for droppng nto such thck

Jamacan slang that the ntervewer was left wonderng what was beng

dscussed.

As the tour progressed, the Walers’ recepton grew more enthusastc.

Sold-out shows were frequent; for example, the band played for a crowd

of 15,000 at the Schaefer Musc Festval, n New York’s Central Park. As

the band toured the Unted States and traveled nto Canada, the set lst

for the shows became standard, wth “Trench Town Rock,” “Burnn’ and

Lootn’,” “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry),” “Road Block,” “Lvely Up

Yourself,” “Natty Dread,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “I Shot the Sherff,” and

“Knky Reggae.” Other songs appeared on occason, such as “I Shot the

Sherff” and “Get Up, Stand Up.” At ths tme, the Walers gelled nto

the tourng machne that they became known for. Bob was a serous

taskmaster when t came to makng sure that the group performed well on

stage, and mstakes were not tolerated. The appearance of the group also

gradually became standard. Bob adopted hs characterstc denm jeans

and shrt, and by 1975 hs dreadlocks stretched down to hs shoulders. The

I-Threes also began to soldfy ther standard look, wth heads wrapped n

red, gold, and green fabrc and tradtonal Afrcan dress.

Whle the tour gave the band greater exposure to the Amercan aud-

ence, there were many problems. Taylor’s lack of experence showed, as he

dd not retan a large enough road crew to handle all of the band’s equp-

ment. Frequently there were not enough drvers or roades, and ths led to

problems wth havng the nstruments ready when the performers arrved.

Taylor also treated the band, other than Bob, as employees nstead of as

talented ndvduals, whch led to several fghts.

The Walers closed the North Amercan leg of the tour wth a show at

the Roxy Theatre on Sunset Strp n Los Angeles, Calforna. The show

was agan sold out and n attendance were members of the Rollng Stones n

addton to Cat Stevens, Jon Mtchell, Herbe Hancock, George Harrson

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 31

and Rngo Starr of the Beatles, and members of the Grateful Dead and the

Band. Ths was an extraordnary dsplay of crtcal support for the Walers.

The group knew that they had made a sold mpresson on the Amercan

audence and departed for London prepared to conquer another locaton.

In London, the band played a show at the Hard Rock n Manchester,

another at the Odeon n Brmngham, and two at the Lyceum n London.

Blackwell attended the frst Lyceum show and notced how enthusastc

the crowd reacton was. He quckly ordered moble recordng equpment

so that the show the followng nght could be recorded. Modern sound

engneerng technology makes lve recordng so easy that t s done au-

tomatcally at each show. However, n 1975, an entre truckload full of

recordng gear had to be brought to the venue to capture the concert.

Blackwell used hs ndustry connectons to borrow the Rollng Stones’ mo-

ble studo, whch the band had ordered bult n the late 1960s. It allowed

the Rollng Stones to record n remote locatons and ths movable equp-

ment had been used to record Led Zeppeln, Deep Purple, and the Rollng

Stones albums Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main Street (1972).

Wth lve sound engneer Dave Harper sttng n the Rollng Stones’

moble recordng studo outsde the Lyceum Theatre, Bob Marley and the

Walers took the stage on July 18, 1975. The group tore through an ab-

brevated set lst that nght after an ntroducton by Tony Garnett. The

recordng was a success and captured Bob and the group performng sev-

eral of ther bggest hts. They were rushng the tempos just slghtly, and

ths gave the musc an addtonal sense of urgency. After some further re-

mxng at Island’s Basng Street studos, the recordng was released under

the ttle Live!.

laSt oriGinal wailerS Show

An nterestng sde note wth regard to the year 1975 was that durng

November, Bob, Peter, and Bunny reunted for ther last tme on stage.

Amercan popular muscan Steve Wonder was slated to play a beneft

concert at Jamaca’s Natonal Stadum. The concert was staged to rase

money for the Jamacan Insttute for the Blnd and Steve Wonder was

well aware of the Walers’ materal. The reconsttuted Walers performed

at Wonder’s beneft concert and he was blown away. Wonder even joned

the Walers on stage for a verson of “I Shot the Sherff.” Much has re-

cently been made of the Walers/Wonder connecton and t s worth not-

ng that after ther onstage meetng, Wonder wrote a song n trbute to

Bob called “Master Blaster.” In fact, often when Wonder performed the

song, he began wth an mprovsatonal chorus, “We’re dong t for Bob

BOB MARLEY

Marley.” The song goes on to refer to themes n Bob’s lfe such as Jah,

musc, and unty.

By the end of the summer, the Walers were back n Jamaca workng on

more new musc. The group then returned to Harry J’s studo to begn re-

cordng the tracks for ther next album. The process was nterrupted when

on August 27, 1975, Hale Selasse I ded at age 83. The death of the Rasta

redeemer sent the fathful nto a talspn. Many of the Rasta fathful took

Selasse’s death as the sgnal that Rastafaransm tself was flawed. How-

ever, others used the death to steel ther determnaton and deepen ther

belefs; Bob was n ths second group. He called Lee “Scratch” Perry nto

Harry J’s and together the par created the scorchng song “Jah Lve.”

An nterestng crcumstance n relaton to Selasse’s death s that hs

body was not recovered for formal bural untl 1991. Selasse had ded

from complcatons followng a prostate operaton. Hs doctor dsputed

the meda report that he was responsble for the death of the emperor.

There was also speculaton at the tme that Selasse was assassnated,

as there had been repeated attempts to unseat the emperor begnnng n

the early 1960s. The stuaton was further confused by the dsappearance

of the body. Ths lack of a corpse convnced many Rasta fathful that Se-

lasse had not ded. The cry went out n the Rastafaran terrtores: “You

can’t kll God.” Informaton surfaced n 1991 revealng that Selasse’s

remans had n fact been secretly bured at the tme of hs death. However,

wth ths mystery accompanyng Selasse’s demse, many Rastas took the

crcumstances to mean that ther relgous leader had not ded.

The product of Bob and Perry’s studo collaboraton was the sngle “Jah

Lve.” The song was as drect a statement of fath as has been uttered for

any relgon. Here Bob proclamed that Jah (Hale Selasse) was stll alve.

He followed ths wth hs sentments on understandng fath, told through

the metaphor of the shepherd. He also crtczed all who beleved that

Selasse had ded and professed that not only was he stll alve, but that he

was powerful enough to scatter hs enemes and reman n power.

The fnal fve years of Bob’s lfe were flled wth constant actvty, cre-

atng new songs, releasng semnal albums, and tourng n support of hs

efforts. The Walers’ popularty contnually ncreased, and by the end of

the 1970s the group was known n the most remote places n the world.

In 1976, Bob kcked off hs actvty wth a full schedule of concerts, n-

tervews, and recordng. Bob reached a sgnfcant mlestone n hs blos-

somng career when he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazne

and the magazne voted the Walers the “Band of the Year.” Also by 1976,

Bob and the Walers had taken over the house at 56 Hope Road, even

though Blackwell was stll ts offcal owner.

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 33

Early 1976 was spent recordng new Walers’ materal and tryng to get

comfortable wth fame. Now that the Walers were nternatonal stars,

Bob spent long hours n ntervews tryng to defne to the world what t

meant to be a Jamacan, a person of mxed race, and a Rastafaran. Whle

Bob was quckly becomng the representatve of Trench Town, hs hard-

won fame dd begn to provde hm some luxury that hs lfe had lacked.

For example, Bob was now makng enough money that Cole convnced

hm to buy a BMW. Generally not nterested n the trappngs of wealth,

Bob was not orgnally comfortable wth ths purchase untl he notced

that the BMW could stand for Bob Marley and the Walers, nstead of

Bavaran Motor Works.

Even wth all of the success carryng the Walers though 1976, there was

sgnfcant unrest n the band. The nstrumentalsts were stll unhappy

wth Taylor’s treatment of them, and ths resulted n Lee Jaffe and Al

Anderson leavng the group. To add nsult to njury, the par mmedately

joned Peter Tosh’s band, called Word, Sound, and Power. So, n the md-

dle of the recordng sessons for ther ffth album, the Walers were agan

reduced to Bob and the Barrett brothers. On the heels of these losses, Bob

recruted new players for the group. He quckly recruted Earl “Chnna”

Smth to serve as rhythm gutarst, and wth Blackwell’s help the Amer-

can blues gutarst Don Knsey joned the Walers on lead gutar. The

album credts for Rastaman Vibration reflect the performance of these new

addtons to the group. However, wth the sessons already takng place,

Al Anderson was credted wth the lead gutar parts on the song “Crazy

Bald Head.” Also present on the album was Seeco on percusson and Ty-

rone Downe on keyboards.

rastaman ViBration

In the mdst of ths tumult, Bob Marley and the Walers ssued ther

fourth Island Records album n May 1976. The album was ssued wth

a drawng of Bob on the front of the record jacket. Hs dreadlocks had

grown down past hs shoulders and he was strkng a contemplatve pose.

Also promnently dsplayed were the Rastafaran colors, red, yellow, black,

and green. These colors were derved from the flag of Ethopa and the

sgnfcance of the colors was defned wthn Rastafaransm as black for

the people, red for the blood they shed protectng themselves, yellow for

the gold stolen from ther ancestors, and green for the lost land of Afrca.

Hstorcally, there have been some dsagreements on the meanngs of the

colors, but ther orgns n Ethopa are rrefutable. The background of the

album jacket looked lke burlap fabrc and contaned the statement that

BOB MARLEY

the album jacket “s great for cleanng herb.” The other text was a quote

from the Old Testament Blessng of Joseph. Because Bob was alled wth

the Trbe of Joseph of the Twelve Trbes of Israel Rastafaran sect, ths

passage professed hs strength and generosty.

Rastaman Vibration was the Walers’ bggest success yet. It clmbed to num-

ber eght on the Amercan pop charts. Bob sad of the album that on t he

was not as concerned wth the musc as wth the message. The themes of

the songs contaned on the album range from calls for revoluton to ds-

cussons of poltcs. The tracks were “Postve Vbraton,” “Roots, Rock,

Reggae,” “Johnny Was,” “Cry to Me,” “Want More,” “Crazy Bald Head,”

“Who the Cap Ft,” “Nght Shft,” “War,” and “Rat Race.” Bob’s practce

of wrtng autobographcal lyrcs was evdent on ths album. “Nght Shft”

was about hs tme workng n Delaware and talked about hs tme spent

drvng a forklft and pnng for Jamaca, hs wfe, and hs chldren. “Rat

Race” was Bob’s take on the role of the Rastas and poltcs. Here Bob

warns that Rastas wll not be nvolved n any poltcal maneuverng. The

song was wrtten as Jamaca was becomng embroled n the volence lead-

ng up to the electon of 1976. Regardless of Bob’s antpoltcal convc-

tons, the events surroundng the 1976 electon forever changed hs lfe.

The most sgnfcant Rastafaran song on the album was “War.” The

lyrcs of ths song were taken from a speech that Hale Selasse delv-

ered to the Unted Natons on October 4, 1963. In the speech, Selasse

demanded equalty for people of all colors regardless of locaton or fath.

Bob’s Rastafaran fath, even n the wake of Selasse’s death, was also

affrmed on the ttle track, “Rastaman Vbraton.” Also on the album, Bob

made repeated use of quotatons from the Bble and bblcal paraphrases.

Ths use of Old Testament materal became a trademark of Bob’s mature

lyrc wrtng and llustrated hs contnued adherence to the Rastafaran

fath.

rastaman ViBration toUr

The sprng and summer of 1976 brought another Walers tour. In Aprl,

the group launched the Rastaman Vibration tour, whch was slated to cross

North Amerca and Western Europe. The tour was the most extensve to

date and exposed an ever-growng audence to the group. The Walers’

tourng band was back up to full strength wth 10 members ncludng Bob,

the Barrett brothers, the I-Threes, Seeco, Downe, Smth, and Knsey.

Added to ths were Taylor the manager, Bob’s traner Cole, the cook Tony

“Glle” Glbert, Garrck the art and lghtng drector, Garnett the band’s

hype man and road manager, and Denns Thompson as soundman.

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 35

The tour offcally began at the Tower Theater n Upper Darby, Penn-

sylvana. Bob’s mother, Cedella Booker, came to ths show and t was the

frst tme that she saw her son perform lve n concert. Next the Walers

played n Washngton, DC, Massachusetts, and New York. They crossed

nto Canada for shows n Montreal and Toronto and then returned to

the Unted States to play Buffalo and Cleveland. Next, the group swept

through the Mdwest before playng Texas and fnshng up the U.S. leg

wth seven shows n Calforna. After a stop n Mam, the group pressed

on to Western Europe and played n Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands,

France, and Wales. The tour ended wth 10 shows n England. On most of

these stops, the Walers played sold-out houses and were now playng to

people who already knew the songs.

The show on May 26 at the Roxy Theatre n Hollywood, Calforna,

was a partcular hghlght. The Amercan snger/songwrtng legend Bob

Dylan was n the audence, and the Walers played a scorchng set. Bob

Marley was a self-professed fan of Dylan’s song wrtng, and the reggae

superstar treated the folk con to one of the band’s best performances.

The concert was recorded and has subsequently been released n a two-

CD boxed set. That nght the Walers’ set ncluded an enthusastc n-

troducton by Tony “Tony G” Garnett followed by “Trench Town Rock,”

“Burnn’ and Lootn’,” “Them Belly Full,” “Rebel Musc,” “I Shot the

Sherff,” “Want More,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Lvely Up Yourself,”

“Roots Rock Reggae,” and “Rat Race.” The band had ht ther tourng

strde and played a wonderfully tght set. Bob spent the evenng center

stage wth ths sgnature Les Paul gutar, dreadlocks flyng, and hands

often rased defantly n the ar. The I-Threes were to Bob’s left n match-

ng black dresses and Afrcan head wraps. The show ended wth an encore

performance of “Postve Vbraton” and a medley of “Get Up, Stand Up/

No More Trouble/War.”

GUn coUrt

At the end of the tour, the Walers returned to Jamaca to rest and re-

focus ther efforts on ther next recordng. The electon lead-up was stll

comng to a bol and Kngston was n a state of emergency declared by

Manley. The Manley government had sgnfcantly weakened ts standng

on the sland by makng moves that seemed to ally the sland wth Fdel

Castro’s Communst government n Cuba. Manley’s actons had destab-

lzed Jamaca’s already weak economy and led to shortages of some of the

sland’s necesstes, such as cookng ol and food staples.

BOB MARLEY

Further, a large quantty of hand guns had mysterously appeared on the

sland and were beng used to escalate the pre-electon volence. In Jamaca,

possesson of a gun was an especally henous crme. The Jamacan govern-

ment had been patterned on the Brtsh system when the sland acheved

ndependence n 1962. However, on Aprl 2, 1974, Jamaca establshed

the Gun Court. The Gun Court was a combnaton court and prson es-

tablshed to prosecute and punsh anyone commttng a crme nvolvng

a gun. The court was afforded the power to detan crmnals ndefntely

and subject them to hard labor. Mandatory sentences were enforced untl

1983, when the practces of the Gun Court were ruled unconsttutonal.

Durng the Gun Court’s decade of unrestrcted operaton, countless ghetto

youths were jaled wth no hope of returnng to regular socety.

Another oddty of the 1976 electon was that whle Manley was court-

ng Castro, the JLP opposton leader, Edward Seaga, was accused of allyng

hmself wth the Amercan CIA. Ths was apparently done to help hm wn

control of the sland, but resulted n further destablzng Jamaca to the

pont that the sland practcally dssolved nto cvl war n the md-1970s.

Everyone on the sland was affected by the two Jamacan poltcal pow-

ers wrestlng for control. Recognzng the harm that was beng done, Bob

proposed to stage a concert for Jamacans, to thank the sland’s populaton

for ther support of the band. Dubbed the “Smle Jamaca” Concert, the

event was scheduled to take place on Kngston’s Natonal Heroes Park

on December 5, 1976. In order to stage such an event, Bob needed the

approval of the prme mnster’s offce. Ths approval was granted, but n

an act of pure poltcal maneuverng, the PNP announced the date of the

next general electon as December 20. In so dong, the PNP created a stu-

aton n whch t seemed the Bob Marley and the Walers were backng

the reelecton of Mchael Manley of the PNP.

Ths sent Bob nto a rage, but the concert had already been announced,

supportng acts were already booked, and Bob and the Walers had already

recorded the song “Smle Jamaca” wth Perry n hs Black Ark studos.

The concert was meant to defuse the volence on the sland and reduce

the constant warrng between the two partes. Bob was essentally tryng to

save hs ghetto brothers and ssters as the pre-electon volence was always

hottest n the ghetto. Goon squads recruted by each party frequently

clashed on ghetto streets, leadng to a great many “cvlan” deaths.

attempted aSSaSSination

Wth the warped percepton about the “Smle Jamaca” concert, the

volence of the 1976 electon came drectly to Bob’s 56 Hope Road house.

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 37

Two days before the concert, Bob and the Walers were at the house on

Hope Road rehearsng for ther upcomng performance. The band took a

break and one of the I-Threes, Judy Mowatt, asked Bob to have someone

take her home. She was pregnant and not feelng well, so Bob asked Gar-

rck to take the BMW and return Judy to her home. As they were pullng

out of the drveway at 56 Hope Road, Don Taylor was pullng n to super-

vse the rehearsal. Bob, Taylor, and Knsey were relaxng n the ktchen

watng for Blackwell, who was supposed to be comng to meet Taylor.

Unnotced by Taylor, hs car had been followed nto the drveway by

two others. Sx gunmen slpped out of these two cars and opened fre on

the house. The ktchen was stuated at the rear of the house, up a few

stars. Bob, Taylor, and Knsey heard the gunfre and mmedately saw the

barrel of a gun comng though the ktchen door. Everyone dved for cover

as the gunman opened fre. Bob ducked for cover by the refrgerator, but

Taylor was left relatvely exposed n the mddle of the room. When the

shootng stopped, Taylor had been rddled wth bullets; Bob had been shot

once and the bullet was lodged n hs left forearm; and Rta had been shot

once n the head but the bullet dd not perce her skull. A Walers’ assoc-

ate named Lews Smpson (or maybe Lews Grffths—sources conflct)

was badly wounded.

Incredbly, no one was klled. Taylor was shot fve tmes n the mdsec-

ton and had to be flown to Mam for surgery. Rta and Bob were both

taken to the hosptal and treated. Rta was treated and released wth a

bandage around her head. Bob was nformed that f the doctors removed

the bullet from hs arm he could lose feelng n hs left hand. Bob refused

to take the rsk, as he wrote hs songs accompanyng hmself on the gutar,

so the bullet was left where t had lodged. Overall, thngs could have

been much worse. The bullets that were spayed nto the ktchen had not

been accurately amed. In fact, many of them rcocheted around the room

leavng holes n the walls that are stll vsble today. Eventually, everyone

made full recoveres from ther wounds over the course of tme.

Surprsngly, Jamacan Prme Mnster Mchael Manley vsted Bob

whle he was beng treated at the hosptal. Manley placed Bob under the

protecton of the Jamacan securty servce and he was taken away from

the hosptal under armed escort. The prme mnster was stll plannng

for a Walers appearance at the “Smle Jamaca” Concert, so protectng

Bob was protectng hs own poltcal nterests. Once Blackwell heard

of the shootng, he made hs manson on Strawberry Hll avalable to

the wounded Walers. Strawberry Hll s hgh n Jamaca’s nteror Blue

Mountans. Here Bob spent the nght tryng to sort out the stuaton and

worryng about the future of hs band, all under heavy guard provded by

BOB MARLEY

the government and by area Rastas. Bob’s mnd was heavy wth concern

for hs wounded frends and famly; addtonally, he needed to decde f

the band was stll gong to play the concert.

December 4, 1976, dawned as Bob was begnnng hs recovery at Straw-

berry Hll. Hs man actvty for the day was collectng the Walers, who

had scattered n the wake of the shootng, and decdng whether or not to

play the concert the followng day. Bob was further put on edge wth the

news that the would-be kllers were stll at large. Bob spent the day tryng

ftfully to make sense out of the shootng. It was agreed that the assassna-

ton attempt had been poltcally motvated, but by what poltcal facton

was stll a mystery (the detals surroundng the event have never been

fully explaned; the outcome was that Bob was not on the sland when the

electon was held).

Regardless of hs remanng doubts, Bob took acton. He obtaned a set

of powerful walke-talkes from the flm crew that Blackwell had hred

to flm the concert. Wth these, Bob was able to round up the band and

montor the stuaton n Kngston as he contnued to mull over the safety

of playng the concert. Bob quckly learned that the news of the attempted

assassnaton had crossed the sland. The supportng bands had all can-

celed ther appearances at the concert and the stuaton at Heroes Park

was precarous. Bob took solace n the fact that hs old frend Stephen

“Cat” Coore, of the band Thrd World, was on the scene and that Coore’s

band had agreed to perform and test the waters.

Soon, enough of the Walers were found to make a performance pos-

sble. Coore nformed Bob that there were already n excess of 50,000

people at the venue at 4:00 p.m. Stll at Strawberry Hll, Bob remaned

undecded about performng. Hs resolve was further tested when Rta

arrved wth her head stll bandaged and told hm that they should can-

cel the concert. Servng hs party’s own purposes, PNP Housng Mnster

Anthony Spauldng came on the scene to try to convnce Bob to perform.

Bob was even more conflcted because the concert had been hs own dea.

Gvng n to negatve crcumstances was not n Bob’s personalty, but self-

lessly gvng of hs gfts and prosperty was.

the “Smile Jamaica” concert

After much delberaton, Bob made the decson to perform the con-

cert. He, Spauldng, and Rta rode down nto the cty under heavy guard

and arrved at the venue to fnd 80,000 people watng for the Walers. In

pure defance of those who sought to slence hs voce, Bob Marley and

the Walers took the stage. Checkng to see who else was wth hm, Bob

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 39

counted Carle Barrett hs drummer, Tyrone Downe hs keyboard player,

Cat Coore the gutarst for the Thrd World band, the horn secton from

Zap Pow, and fve of the hand drummers from the band Ras Mchael and

the Sons of Negus. Bob began hs set wth a bref announcement n whch

he sad that when he came up wth the dea of the concert there was not

supposed to be any poltcs nvolved. He and the band then launched nto

a searng 90-mnute set wth the ant-oppresson song “War.”

The Walers’ set was supposed to be short, but Bob was rapt wth the

sprt of the event and pushed the band to contnue. A hghlght was the

performance of “So Jah Seh,” whch was lkely the only tme that the group

played ths song lve. The show contnued through the Walers’ set wth-

out dsturbance. Durng the Walers’ set, Knsey came on stage wearng a

brown tunc to hde hs njures. Conversely, Bob lfted hs shrt to show

the audence that the reports of the attempted assassnaton were true, but

that he had not succumbed to hs wounds.

After the concert, Blackwell agan gave Bob the use of the house at

Strawberry Hll. Bob spent the nght plannng hs next move and stll

grapplng wth the mplcatons of the attempted assassnaton. Bob be-

leved that the frst move to make to ensure hs safety was to leave the

sland. He and Garrck left Jamaca the next day, headng for the sland

of Nassau n the Bahamas. Nassau s one several small slands off of the

southeastern tp of Florda. The Nassau move was well thought out as

Blackwell had already moved hs Carbbean base of operatons to ths

sland due to the constant upheavals n Jamaca. Also, Blackwell was al-

ready workng on buldng the world-class Compass Pont Studos on Nas-

sau (the studos opened n 1977 and are stll n use wth a clent lst of

nternatonal stars).

SelF-impoSed exile

Whle Bob assumed that Nassau would be a safe haven from the tur-

mol of Jamaca, the mmgraton offcals on the sland were not sure f t

was safe for them to have Bob on the sland. After much delberaton, Bob

and Garrck were gven temporary permsson to stay n Nassau, wth the

provso that they could be forced to leave the sland at any tme. The par

then settled n at Blackwell’s Compass Pont house and began plannng

the Walers’ next move.

Over the next few days, Rta and the Marley chldren along wth the

rest of the Walers band arrved n Nassau. Everyone was glad to have

made t to the relatve safety of Nassau and a perod of rest and heal-

ng began. Even as the band members were becomng rejuvenated, Don

BOB MARLEY

Knsey qut the band and returned to Amerca. Knsey had been shot n

the attack on the house at 56 Hope Road and beleved that the threat of

volence perssted for Bob and those close to hm.

Although the Walers were not present to wtness t, the Jamacan

natonal electon dd take place on December 15, 1976, and PNP head

Mchael Manley remaned the prme mnster of the country (a poston

that he held untl 1980). The 1976 electon lead-up had been especally

bloody. In addton to the volence perpetrated on the Walers and ther

entourage, over two hundred Jamacans ded n the course of reelectng

Manley. The sland then descended nto another perod of smmerng un-

rest n the wake of the electon.

Whle the Walers were solated n Nassau, they were afforded a luxur-

ous exstence for the month of ther stay. At the end of December, Bob’s

grlfrend Cndy Breakspeare came and vsted the reggae superstar on

Paradse Island (a smaller land mass that s connected to the northeast

coast of Nassau). Together, the par enjoyed each other’s company and

mmersed themselves n ther relatonshp. Soon, ths relatonshp pro-

duced Bob’s son Daman, hs nnth chld.

Although the lves of the Walers were n perl n Jamaca, they felt

safer elsewhere. When the band members were prepared to begn record-

ng ther next album, they went to London to see Blackwell and get to

work. As Blackwell had provded ther prevous gutarsts, he was the

logcal choce for a recommendaton to replace Knsey. He gave Bob the

name of a black blues gutarst named Junor Marvn (who worked under

the names Junor Kerr, Junor Hanson, and others. Marvn was Jamacan

born, but rased n the Unted States. Further, he had the rght muscal

credentals, havng studed under Amercan blues legend T. Bone Walker.

When the Walers arrved n London n 1977, Marvn was already at Is-

land Studos recordng wth Steve Wnwood. Marvn, Bob, and Blackwell

met and Marvn was named the new Walers’ lead gutarst.

Through the early part of 1977, the Walers remaned n Blackwell’s

London studos workng on ther next record. The resultng tracks were

pared down to 10 and ttled Exodus: Movement of Jah People. Although

n self-mposed exle from Jamaca, the group kept a careful watch on how

muscal style was changng on the sland. New materal was beng released

by bands such as the Itals, Israel Vbraton, and Junor Murvn (of “Polce

and Theves” fame). Even more sgnfcantly, the band Culture released

ts ht “Two Sevens Clash.” The song became a huge ht n Jamaca and

England wth ts dscusson of Rastafaran mllenaransm. Rastafaransm

s one of several relgons wth mllenaran belefs that a major change wll

occur at the end of each 100-year cycle. Rastas beleved that the current

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 41

cycle was to end n 1977 and at that tme the oppressve rule of the Baby-

lon system would end.

exoDus

Durng the Exodus sesson, Lee “Scratch” Perry turned up n London

and Bob stopped the sesson to spend tme catchng up wth hs old frend

and producer. Perry was able to update Bob on the evoluton of the Ja-

macan musc scene. He also asked Bob to record a song called “Punky

Reggae Party.” The song was wrtten by Perry and was meant to cement

the relatonshp between reggae and Englsh punk musc. An mpromptu

recordng sesson ensued, and Bob’s voce was backed by a collecton of

nstrumentalsts from the Thrd World band and the new Englsh reggae

group Aswad.

The relatonshp between reggae and punk exsted from the md-1970s,

when the punk style began. Many early punk muscans found a partcular

knshp wth those on the reggae scene, because both groups felt margnal-

zed and oppressed by parlamentary-style governments that dd not relate

to the underclass. Muscally, the two styles dd not share many character-

stcs; however, several punk bands covered reggae standards and often

adopted the reggae style. For example, Junor Murvn’s ht sngle “Polce

and Theves” was covered by the Clash and was a ht for both groups.

After Bob had completed hs work wth Perry, the Exodus sessons re-

sumed. The band had already recorded 20 tracks and added another 10

n the second flurry of recordng. The group then selected the 10 most

expressve tracks for the album and on June 3, 1977, Exodus was released

as the sxth Island Records/Walers band product. The album ncluded

the tracks “Natural Mystc,” “So Much Thngs to Say,” “Gultness,” “The

Heathen,” “Exodus,” “Jammng,” “Watng n Van,” “Turn Your Lghts

Down Low,” “Three Lttle Brds,” and “One Love/People Get Ready.” The

makeup of the band for the release was the same as t had been for Rasta-

man Vibration wth the substtuton of Marvn for Knsey on gutar. Also

present on the album was the use of a new drummng style that was com-

ng out of Jamaca. Popularzed by Sly Dunbar, of the legendary duo Sly

and Robbe, the drummng technque of evenly accentng all beats n a

measure created songs called “rockers,” and the ttle track of the album

was of ths sort.

The sentments of the new record reflected Bob’s post–assassnaton

attempt mood. The openng song was called “Natural Mystc,” whch was

one of Bob’s ncknames and was used to herald hs reappearance after the

shootng. Next was a tro of songs whose lyrcal content found Bob tryng

BOB MARLEY

to come to a reconclaton wth the events of December 1976. Each song

bult on ts predecessor, and through the three Bob casts the fnger of

gult around the sland at those who sought to harm hm. Although Bob

was known for hs kndness and hs nterest n unversal love, these songs

reveal how deeply had been wounded, when he warned hs attackers that

retrbuton would be swft and panful.

Bob also contnued hs prevously noted nterest n quotng Bble pas-

sages. The ttle track of the album took a serous tone that was enhanced

through the rocker rhythm and the use of the Zap Pow horns. Here Bob

decred the treatment of the Rastafaran fathful and calls for hs brothers

and ssters to repatrate. The concept of repatraton runs through Ras-

tafaran belef, but t was not ntended as a lteral nvtaton to return to

Afrca. Instead, t was meant as a phlosophcal return to Afrca, wth ts

prde and majesty n one’s head, regardless of one’s locaton.

The rest of Exodus was a mxture of dance and love songs. “Jammng”

was a lghthearted attempt to put the event of late 1976 behnd the

band. “Watng n Van,” “Turn Your Lghts Down Low,” and “Three

Lttle Brds” were all love songs expressng Bob’s feelngs for Break-

speare. The fnal track was the mxng of Bob’s and Curts Mayfeld’s

(of the Impressons) songwrtng. “One Love/People Get Ready” ex-

pressed unversal love and unty wth a hnt of the Amercan cvl rghts

movement. The Exodus release was another huge success for the Walers.

The reacton to the album was so strong that all but three of the songs

were released as sngles, a feat that was not matched untl Mchael Jack-

son released Thriller.

exoDus toUr

As was now the custom, the Walers next prepared to tour n support

of Exodus. The band spent tme preparng for what would be another long

trp through Western Europe and North Amerca. Whle the preparatons

for the tour were underway, Bob and Famly Man ran afoul of the London

polce. The par was stopped whle drvng through northwest London.

They were searched and t was dscovered that both men had large ganja

splffs n ther possesson. The polce then searched the apartment where

Bob had been stayng (away from the place where the rest of the band was

housed) and they uncovered approxmately a pound of marjuana. Bob

and Famly Man were ordered to appear n court on charges of possess-

ng (large quanttes of) a controlled substance. Because nether man had

been brought up on any prevous charges, they escaped wth a fne and a

warnng not to appear agan n court for any reason.

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 43

Whle dsapponted at hs bad luck at the hands of the polce, Bob’s

mood was brghtened when he dscovered that the Ethopan royal fam-

ly was lvng n exle n London at ths tme. Bob had occason to meet

Crown Prnce Zere-Yacobe Asfa-Wossen, the pretender to hs grandfa-

ther’s throne (Hale Selasse I had been deposed on September 12, 1974;

wth hs government n dsarray, a group of low-rankng mltary offcers

had effectvely overthrown the weakened leader and removed hs fam-

ly from the rulershp of the country). The meetng had two outcomes.

Frst, Wossen gave Bob a gold rng emblazoned wth the golden Lon of

Judah emblem, a rng that the reggae superstar wore for the rest of hs

lfe. Also, Bob’s nterest n Afrca (specfcally Ethopa) was deepened

sgnfcantly.

BoB’S Foot inJUry

The Walers launched the Exodus tour at Pavllon Baltard n Pars,

France, on May 10, 1977. The tour was off to an mmedate success, but

tragedy struck when Bob’s rght bg toe was badly njured n a soccer game.

The game was a frendly match between members of the Walers’ entou-

rage and a group of French journalsts. The njury was sgnfcant and

upon closer nspecton, Bob realzed that he should see a doctor. The doc-

tor noted that Bob had lost most of hs toenal and nformed hm that he

needed to stay off of hs feet to gve the njury tme to heal. Bob dd not

heed the doctor’s warnng as he was aware of the serousness of cancelng

any prearranged tour oblgatons. Also, Rastafarans do not strctly adhere

to modern medcne.

Despte the njury, Bob and the Walers contnued the European leg

of the tour. The group played shows n Belgum, the Netherlands, and

Denmark, four shows n Germany, two shows n Sweden, and wrapped up

the European leg wth fve shows n England. The Englsh dates ncluded

an appearance on the BBC show Top of the Pops and four shows at the

Ranbow Theatre. Wth Marvn n the band, the Walers lve show was

even more electrfyng than t had been. At the end of the London shows,

Bob was sufferng from hs falure to look after hs njured foot. The toe

njury had not been allowed to heal properly and Bob’s onstage dancng

had reopened the njury. Wth the European leg completed on June 4 and

the Amercan leg not scheduled to start untl the Palladum show n New

York n July, Bob went to hs mother’s house n Delaware to recuperate.

Wth the support of the tour, Exodus had shot to number one on the Eng-

lsh and German charts, and the pressure was on to make the record a ht

n the Unted States.

BOB MARLEY

Bob’s foot seemed to be worsenng nstead of healng and he returned to

London to see a foot specalst. The doctor gave Bob’s foot a full examna-

ton, even collectng some skn cells for examnaton under a mcroscope.

The doctor then nformed Bob that the sample revealed mutated cancerous

cells that could requre the amputaton of the affected toe. Bob asked the

doctor to explore alternatves and soon learned that there was an alterna-

tve, but t had accompanyng rsks. Instead of amputatng the toe, a small

porton of t could be removed and the wound cleaned and redressed.

Ths alternatve stll dd not please Bob and he sought a second opnon

n Mam.

Bob’s toe was examned by Dr. Wllam Bacon, the doctor who had

operated on Taylor after the shootng at 56 Hope Road. Bacon seconded

the London doctor’s opnon, that a part of Bob’s foot needed to be re-

moved. On July 20, the Amercan leg of the Exodus tour was postponed

to allow Bob to undergo surgery. Although offcally the tour was only

postponed, all tckets were refunded and no dates were rescheduled. Bob’s

surgery was performed at Cedars of Lebanon Hosptal n Mam, and all of

the cancerous cells were removed. Wth all of the mutated cells removed,

Bob recovered at a house that he purchased n Mam. The doctor’s rec-

ommendaton for Bob’s recovery nvolved the snger returnng to eatng

meat, for ts proten. After two months of recovery and a new det, Bob

was well agan and ready to return to the road.

Even wthout tour support, Exodus was a ht n the Unted States and

the Walers were revered on a par wth Amerca rock and roll’s elte. Dur-

ng Bob’s recovery, the Walers had also joned hm n Mam, and once

the snger had reganed hs strength, the group entered Crtera Record-

ng Studos, n Mam, to begn constructng a new record from the extra

tracks recorded at the London sessons that had produced Exodus. The

produce of these mxng and overdubbng sessons n Mam was the next

Walers album, Kaya. Also, Bob and Taylor were puttng together an-

other Walers summer tour. Ths tour would span the world and attempt

to make up for the canceled Amercan shows.

Whle plannng the Walers’ next actvtes and completng hs recov-

ery, Bob was also wrtng new songs. Hs thoughts were also occuped wth

concern for hs sland home. The unrest leadng up to the 1976 electon

had contnued after the electon was held. The PNP’s socalst leanngs

were only made worse through contnued control of the sland, and the

growng lack of confdence n the Manley admnstraton was tearng the

country apart. The Rastafarans on the sland, by belef a peaceful group,

began the Jamacan peace movement at the begnnng of 1978 wth the

hope that the ever-worsenng volence could be stopped.

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 45

one love Jamaican peace concert

In a faled attempt to stem the volence on the sland, Manley declared

martal law, sent the Jamacan natonal army nto the streets, and gave

them the order that any known gunman should be mmedately arrested.

Two such poltcal goons who were arrested and detaned n the same cell

were Bob Marley assocates. Claudus (“Claude” or “Jack”) Massop and

Bucky Marshall were both chldhood frends of Bob n addton to beng

the ruthless enforcers for the two rulng partes (Massop for the JLP and

Marshall for the PNP). Tred of beng used as poltcal pawns and gun

fodder, Marshall and Massop began dscussng the possblty of stagng

another concert for peace n Kngston. The two vowed to get ther partes

to commt to a ceasefre that would be accompaned by negotatons to

end the bloodshed and a publc concert to celebrate the sland’s changng

crcumstances. The plan behnd the plan was that f the level of volence

was reduced then the army would be removed from the streets and the

whole stuaton could cool off.

Whle the dea was a good one, Bob was justfably skeptcal, as he was

sure that members of one or both of the partes that Marshall and Massop

represented were responsble for the attempt on hs lfe. The two men

promsed the reggae superstar that they could guarantee hs safety them-

selves. The crcumstances were made more complcated by the fact that

Bob had not yet returned to Jamaca. Marshall and Massop had a seres of

dauntng obstacles to overcome. Frst, they had to get ther warrng, rval

groups to agree to put asde ther dfferences and then they needed to get

Bob to return to the sland to headlne a concert.

To assst wth Bob’s return, Marshall and Massop spoke to the leader

of the Twelve Trbes of Israel Rastafaran sect, Vernon “Gad the Prophet”

Carrngton. They beleved that f the nvtaton came from the Twelve

Trbes, t would be harder for Bob to refuse. Carrngton was convnced

and he sent members of hs group to meet wth Bob n London to ds-

cuss the peace accord and possble concert. By February, Massop was n

London for hs own meetngs wth Bob. Bob and Massop had grown up

together and the two were frends. However, thngs became straned when

Bob contended that Massop and the JLP could not ensure hs health, even

f they had n fact not been responsble for the assassnaton attempt. Mas-

sop told Bob that the attempt on hs lfe had been for poltcal reasons and

that the JLP was to blame.

In addton to members of the Twelve Trbes and Massop, Bob also

dscussed the possblty of returnng to Jamaca wth PNP representatve

Tony Welsh, who had been sent to meet wth Bob when the PNP learned

BOB MARLEY

that Massop was n London. Ths group met over the course of a week

and dscussed the detals of a truce and the possblty of a concert. Bob

fnally conceded and agreed to play the concert, whch effectvely ended

hs exle from Jamaca. The concert was announced to the world press on

February 23. The One Love Jamacan Peace Concert was scheduled for

Aprl 22, 1978. Bob Marley and the Walers were booked to headlne. Other

artsts that agreed to perform ncluded orgnal Waler Peter Tosh, Jacob

Mller and Inner Crcle, the Mghty Damonds, Trnty, Denns Brown,

Culture, Dllnger, Bg Youth, and Ras Mchael and the Sons of Negus.

As the Walers were gearng up for another tour, they decded to use

the Jamacan Peace Concert as the kckoff event for the tour. The band

agan went through a lneup change when Al Anderson returned on

rhythm gutar and Earl “Wya” Lndo agan joned the group on keyboards.

In order to buld addtonal hype for the concert and tour, the Walers

released ther seventh Island Records release, Kaya. Wth the momentum

buldng for the concert, tour, and new album, Bob returned to Jamaca

after hs 14-month exle.

Bob arrved back n Jamaca on February 26, 1978, wth the expressed

msson of brngng peace back to the sland. The One Love Jamacan

Peace Concert was scheduled for Aprl 22 and the Twelve Trbes of Israel

Rastafaran brotherhood was the sponsor of record. The concert was

not ntended for any poltcal posturng; nstead t was meant to undo

years of damage caused by the nfghtng that had created the current

state of meltdown. The fact that the warrng JLP and PNP factons had

agreed to a tenuous ceasefre ndcated that even the poltcal goon squads

were concerned about the level of bloodshed. The tenson n Kngston

was ntense, llustrated by the constant presence of the polce, wearng

bulletproof vests and carryng shotguns, n the yard of the house at 56

Hope Road.

The concert date dawned and all of Jamaca’s most sgnfcant bands

were slated to perform. The tense mood of the perod leadng up to the

concert was contnued at the show wth hundreds of polcemen n atten-

dance. As band after band took the stage n front of the audence of more

than 32,000 people, the antcpaton grew. Peter Tosh’s set was ncendary

as he crtczed the government, callng t the “shtstem,” nstead of the

system. Tosh also flaunted hs onstage freedom when he lt up a large splff

from the stage, even as polce and government offcals looked on help-

lessly. He contnued hs rebellon, yellng at the crowd that he dd not

want peace, but nstead wanted equalty. He blazed through seven songs

and then Ras Mchael and the Sons of Negus played a fve-song set. The

concert clmaxed when the Walers took the stage as the fnal act.

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 47

Bob walked on stage dressed n a brown burlap pullover shrt wth a

map of Afrca on the back, decorated n many colors. At hs entrance

the crowd erupted n loud applause, havng been left doubtng that he

would ever return to the sland. Bob and the Walers gave a legendary

50-mnute performance wth a nne-song set lst. That nght they played

the songs “Lon of Judah” (whch they rarely played lve), “Natural Mys-

tc,” “Trench Town Rock.” “Natty Dread,” “Postve Vbraton,” “War,”

“Jammng,” “One Love/People Get Ready,” and “Jah Lve.”

Durng the performance of the song “Jammng,” Bob began an ex-

tended skat vocal (skat sngng s vocal mprovsaton n whch the words

are made up on the spot or nonsense syllables are used such as “doo” and

“wop”). Bob sang:

To make everythng come true, we’ve got to be together, yeah,

yeah. And to the sprt of the most hgh, Hs Imperal Majesty

Emperor Hale Selasse I, run lghtnng, leadng the people of

the slaves to shake hands. . . . I’m tryng to say, could we have,

could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. M-

chael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga. I just want to shake hands

and show the people that we’re gonna unte. . . . we’re gonna

unte. . . . we’ve got to unte.

Wth ths nvtaton, opposton leaders Seaga and Manley exted the

front row of the audence, where they had been seated, and ascended the

stars to the stage. Bob took one hand of each man and joned them over

hs head n a show of unty. Whle both men were vsbly uncomfortable

wth the stuaton, Bob reveled n the physcal unon of the two rval

powers. In addton to the pleasure Bob got from the PNP and JLP peace

meetng, he was overjoyed when hs chldren joned hm on stage durng

the fnal song of the Walers’ set.

Kaya

After the One Love Peace Concert, the Walers geared up for an n-

ternatonal tour n support of the Kaya record. The album represented a

dfferent sde of Bob that he had not prevously revealed n such a system-

atc manner. Although the tracks on the album were recorded n London,

durng the same sessons that yelded Exodus, the Kaya materal was not

mltant and the album was nstead flled wth mellow dance musc. The

name of the album s Rastafaran slang for marjuana and the album con-

tent pad homage to the Rastafaran wsdom weed. In fact, the frst song

BOB MARLEY

on the album began wth the words “’cuse [excuse] me whle I lght my

splff.”

The album jacket showed a grany pcture of a smlng Bob, whle the

back of the jacket dsplayed a colorful pcture of a large splff. Contaned

on the album were the songs “Easy Skankng,” “Kaya,” “Is Ths Love,”

“Sun Is Shnng,” “Satsfy My Soul,” “She’s Gone,” “Msty Mornng,”

“Crss,” “Runnng Away,” and “Tme Wll Tell.” The persons performng

on the album were the same as had been present on Exodus. In the wake

of the album’s release, Bob went to New York to meet wth the press and

musc crtcs.

Kaya toUr

The Walers then began ther world tour n support of the record. The

tour had three parts, two North Amercan legs wth one European leg that

separated them. Many houses were sold out, and several performances

were recorded for posterty usng Blackwell’s own Island Moble Studo.

The tour was scheduled to begn n Mam, Florda, on May 5, 1978. How-

ever, the frst sx dates were canceled. Some reports ndcate that ths

cancellaton was due to unspecfed problems wth Junor Marvn’s health;

others speculated that the Waler gutarst was strugglng wth cocane

addcton. The tour then began n earnest n Ann Arbor, Mchgan.

Shows followed throughout the Mdwest, followed by a swng out to the

East Coast and then north nto Canada for a par of shows. The group

then returned to the Unted States for another seres of Amercan dates

before departng for the European leg of the tour.

The European leg began n England wth a show at the New Bngley

Hall n Staffordshre. Next, the tour crossed nto France for three dates

before t headed to Ibza, Span, Sweden for two shows, Denmark, Nor-

way, and the Netherlands for two shows. The European leg ended wth a

stop n Belgum and a return to England for another appearance on Top

of the Pops.

The second North Amercan leg of the tour began n Vancouver, Brt-

sh Columba, and then came south nto Washngton, Oregon, followed

by sx shows n Calforna. The hghlght of the Calforna shows was on

July 21, at the Starlght Amphtheater n Burbank, when Tosh jumped on

stage durng the encore for an unexpected duet. The band then crossed

the southern part of the Unted States, performng the sx shows that

had been canceled at the begnnng of the tour. The popularty of Kaya

was assured through the lengthy tour. The album yelded two ht sngles,

FROM TOP OF THE ROCK TO TOP OF THE WORLD 49

“Is Ths Love” and “Satsfy My Soul.” These songs were also released as

vdeos to further enhance ther promoton.

Stll n Mam at the end of the tour, Bob recorded a song by Jamacan

producer Kng Sporty. The song was called “Buffalo Solder,” and ts lyrcs

connected the Rastafaran struggles to those of the black solders n the

U.S. cavalry durng the Indan Wars. Noel G. Wllams, known as Kng

Sporty, owned hs own Tashamba and Konduko record labels and was a

Jamacan DJ and reggae muscan.

BaBylon By BUS

An offshoot of the recordng of several of the Walers shows from the

Kaya tour was the release of another lve album. Blackwell headed nto

the studo wth the raw tapes of Walers shows from Pars, Copenhagen,

London, and Amsterdam. He emerged wth the master tapes for the lve

album Babylon by Bus. Released n 1978, the album ncluded 13 exemplary

lve performances ncludng the songs “Postve Vbratons,” “Punky Reg-

gae Party,” “Exodus,” “Str It Up,” “Rat Race,” “Concrete Jungle,” “Knky

Reggae,” “Lvely Up Yourself,” “Rebel Musc,” “War/ No More Trouble,”

“Is Ths Love,” “The Heathen,” and “Jammng.”

The album began wth an ntroducton by Bob durng whch he con-

tnued to assert hs fath n Hale Selasse I. He welcomed the crowd n

the name of Ras Tafar. He went on to repeat that Selasse was “ever

lvng” and “ever sure.” Bob further lnked hmself wth Selasse through

repeated use of the “I and I” word choce of Rastafarans. He then engaged

n a bref call and response wth the audence that led nto the frst track.

The album captured the Walers at a new heght of lve performance, and

the power of Bob’s sngng and hs vocal presence llustrated how far the

snger had come snce the Live! album was released three years earler.

A strange crcumstance unfolded wth the release of the Babylon by Bus

album: the Walers toured n support of a lve album wthout releasng any

new studo materal. The group was capable of dong ths because ts n-

ternatonal reputaton had grown to such a hgh level and there were stll

parts of the world n whch t had not performed. In pursut of newer and

larger audences, the Walers launched the Babylon by Bus tour, wth the

dea that they would play parts of the world that had not been prevously

exposed to lve reggae musc.

The tour was booked and the Walers prepared to embark on ther frst

tour of the Far East and the Pacfc Rm. The frst two dates of the tour

were scheduled for Abdjan n the Ivory Coast. Both of these dates were

canceled for unknown reasons. However, Bob contnued to pursue Wal-

ers appearances n Afrca, even wth ths ntal dsappontment. The tour

then started on Aprl 5, 1979, wth a seres of eght shows n Japan. From

Japan, the Walers traveled to Auckland, New Zealand, for an appear-

ance. Bob was greeted by a collecton of aborgnal Maors who treated

hm lke a kng and related ther struggles wth an oppressve whte gov-

ernment to those of the Jamaca underclass. The New Zealand show was

followed by an eght-show stand n Australa. Next, the group flew to

Hawa for two shows before returnng to Jamaca.

Bob now planned hs next move. He had several albums worth of ma-

teral n hs head that he had composed whle on the road. Also, he was

obsessed wth bookng a Walers concert n Ethopa. Havng spent long

hours thnkng about and dscussng the black fatherland, Bob beleved

that the Walers’ next bg tour must nclude an Afrcan appearance. He

had been hampered n hs efforts by the ongong war between Ethopa

and the terrtory drectly to the north called Ertrea. The 30-year war for

Ertrean ndependence lasted from 1961 to 1991 and the war meant that

Bob could not get a vsa to travel to Ethopa.

BoB in aFrica

Concdently, as Bob was tryng to enter Ethopa, Alan “Skll” Cole had

turned up n the Ethopan captal, Adds Ababa. Cole had apparently fled

chapter 4

reggae international

BOB MARLEY

to Afrca n the wake of the assassnaton attempt n Kngston. He had

used hs soccer-playng credentals to get a coachng job wth the Etho-

pan Arlnes soccer team. Bob was fnally awarded a vsa n late 1978 and

together he and Cole planned a trp to Ethopa.

Bob left Jamaca and flew to London, then Narob, and then on to

Ethopa. Once there, he vsted several places of sgnfcance to hm, most

mportantly stes connected wth Hale Selasse I. Bob also spent tme on

a relgous communal farm called Shashaman, attended a rally n support

of the lberaton movement n Rhodesa, and spent tme soakng up the

local nghtlfe. Based on these experences, Bob began to work on the song

“Zmbabwe,” the Afrcan name beng used for Rhodesa durng the struggle

for nternatonally recognzed ndependence from long-standng whte m-

norty rule.

Bob returned from Afrca refreshed and ready to get back to work. He

had albums worth of materal n hs head ready for recordng, and hs re-

newed fath n black unty gave a serous edge to hs new musc. Whle he

had been away, hs lawyer Dane Jobson ran the ever-growng Tuff Gong

empre. Ths was no small task as she was charged wth the day-to-day

management of the only multmllon-dollar musc company n the thrd

world.

The Walers returned to the studo and ther frst product was the

sngle “Ambush n the Nght.” The song was released on the Tuff Gong

mprnt n early 1979 and reflected Bob’s steadfast resolve. Here, Bob

agan addressed hs would-be assassns, holdng them n check because he

was protected by Selasse’s dvnty.

Whle busy n the studo and wth Tuff Gong busness, Bob was stll

aware that the tenuous post–One Love Freedom Concert peace had been

broken. Hs old frend Claude Massop was returnng from a February soc-

cer match when he was stopped at a polce roadblock. Reports ndcate

that Massop was unarmed and approached offcers on the scene wth hs

hands n the ar. The offcers opened fre and Massop was reportedly shot

44 tmes. Wth acts such as ths, the uneasy peace that had been present

on the sland snce the One Love Peace Concert was shattered. The rea-

sons for Massop’s executon were never substantated, but rumors swrled

that he had stolen the money from the Peace concert.

Another of Bob’s long-tme sland frends, Lee “Scratch” Perry, suffered

a nervous breakdown and was brefly nsttutonalzed at Kngston’s Bel-

levew Hosptal. However, amd the chaos of 1979, Bob worked dlgently

to fnsh recordng hs next album. Another Walers tour had already been

planned and Bob wanted to fnsh recordng the new materal before the

tour began. Durng ths perod, even amd the turmol, Bob found some

REGGAE INTERNATIONAL

peace n hs lfe. He worked dlgently on hs new record, but also took

long hours to play soccer and spend tme wth hs chldren. Also, wth

Yvette Morrs, he fathered hs 11th chld, a daughter named Makeba (the

Queen of Sheba) Jahnesta.

surViVal

Part of the 1979 recordng process was Bob’s ntroducton to a new

Blackwell-assgned producer, Alex Sadkn. Sadkn was traned as an audo

masterng engneer and became a well-known musc producer through hs

work at Crtera Studos n Mam and at Blackwell’s Compass Pont Stu-

dos n Nassau, Bahamas. Although he had a short lfe (he ded n 1987 n

an auto accdent at age 35), he recorded materal for the Talkng Heads,

Joe Cocker, James Brown, Maranne Fathfull, and others. Hs work wth

Bob resulted n the Survival album. Released n the summer of 1979, the

workng ttle of the album had been Black Survival, nspred by Bob’s trp

to Afrca.

The album tself contaned songs on topcs such as rebellon, relgon,

and escape from oppresson. Contanng 10 songs n all, the album

collected some of Bob’s most personal commentary on hs lfe and the

world surroundng hm. The tracks contaned on the album were “So Much

Trouble n the World,” “Zmbabwe,” “Top Rankn’,” “Babylon System,”

“Survval,” “Afrca Unte,” “One Drop,” “Rde Natty Rde,” “Ambush n

the Nght,” and “Wake Up and Lve.” On ths record, Bob was the leader

of the oppressed black man n the Western world. He sang of removng the

oppressors’ chans and the dawnng of a new era n whch black freedom

and global harmony for the black race exsted. He was the Rastafaran war-

ror on a msson to reunte and brng peace to the Afrcan daspora.

reGGae SUnSplaSh

Wth the album complete, the Walers agan geared up for an extended

summer tour. They kcked the tour off wth a headlnng appearance n

the Reggae Sunsplash II concert held at Jarrett Park n Montego Bay n

early July 1979. The Reggae Sunsplash concert seres had been n part

Bob’s dea and began n 1978. The Walers would certanly have partc-

pated n the naugural performance, but t took place whle the group was

off the sland durng the Kaya tour.

Durng the second ncarnaton of the concert, the Walers were the

natural headlners. The show was hstory-makng n qualty, although ran

made the venue a mud puddle and hampered the group’s performance.

BOB MARLEY

The concert was a huge success wth an nternatonal audence n atten-

dance. Because of ths success and the nternatonal appeal, the Reggae

Sunsplash concert seres contnues currently. Each year the best of Jama-

can reggae talent s recruted for a show on the sland. Ths show then

serves as the begnnng of an extensve tour promotng Jamacan musc

around the world.

Hstorcally, the Reggae Sunsplash concerts have been enormously

successful and have exposed the world to Jamacan musc start such

as Thrd World, Culture, Steel Pulse, Toots and the Maytals, Fredde

McGregor, Morgan Hertage, Buju Banton, Beene Man, Elephant Man,

and others. The seres of concerts stopped n 1999 when the drvng force

behnd them, Tony Johnson, ded. However, the Reggae Sunsplash show

reemerged wth a three-day festval held on August 3–6, 2006. The plans

are agan to make the concert an annual event, and plannng for future

festvals s already underway.

surViVal toUr

Wth ths auspcous start, the Bob Marley and the Walers’ 25-member

member Survival tourng group left Jamaca for an extended Amercan

tour. From Jamaca, the Walers traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, to per-

form n the Amandla Festval at Harvard Unversty. Amandla s a shorted

form of the phrase meanng “power to the people” n the Shona language

of Zmbabwe. Ths concert, called the Festval of Unty, was organzed

by Chester England to beneft the Amandla group, whose msson was

to support Afrcan lberaton and freedom fghters. The show ncluded

lumnares from around the world, such as Amercan soul snger Patt

Labelle, and 25,000 people attended. The Amandla show started wth

the song “Exodus” and ended wth “Zmbabwe” and “Wake Up and Lve.”

Throughout, Bob was the voce of Afrcan freedom. Durng “Wake Up

and Lve,” Bob began to scat a speech to the audence that ncluded ds-

cusson of brotherhood, unty, and concern over condtons n Afrca.

The concert earned almost a quarter of a mllon dollars for the cause of

Afrcan lberaton.

The tour then rolled on wth a seres of dates n the Unted States

that began wth an appearance at Madson Square Garden wth the Com-

modores and the rap legend Kurts Blow. The band then had a four-day

stand at New York’s Apollo Theater. Bob had purposely establshed ths

set of shows n the hstorcally black and lower-class secton of New York.

By attractng the attenton of the resdents of Harlem, Bob beleved that

hs musc could truly cross over to a black Amercan audence. Soon, he

REGGAE INTERNATIONAL

learned that these shows had had a deep mpact and he was beng talked

about extensvely n black Amercan lstenng crcles.

Durng ths perod, the Survival album was offcally released. In contrast

to the commercal fare that had been Kaya, Survival was pure mltant

reggae and llustrated Bob at hs hghest potency. In addton to Bob’s long-

standng dscussons of freedom for blacks n Jamaca, the new album now

ncluded dscussons of freedom for all black people regardless of locaton.

Ths Pan-Afrcan theme was woven nto the fabrc of Bob’s musc and lfe

for the rest of hs tme on earth. Bob also contnued to delver hs message

through hs long-evolvng preference for the quotaton of Bble passages.

The Survival album tself was a testament to Bob’s convctons. The

front cover of the album contaned small-scale examples of the flags of

all of the Afrcan natons crca 1979. At the top of the front cover was

a banner dsplayng the layout for stowage of Afrcan slaves as they were

transported n shps from Afrca to the Amercas. Supermposed over ths

was the album’s ttle. The back cover contnued the slave shp banner and

ncluded the ttles of the songs contaned on the album.

The lneup for the album ncluded the Walers regulars from the prevous

recordng. However, there was one sgnfcant addton: Carlton “Santa”

Davs played drums on several key tracks. Davs had played n several of

the sland’s most famous bands n the pre-Marley era, such as Soul Syn-

dcate. He s also credted wth appearances wth almost all mportant

Jamacan popular groups snce the 1970s, ncludng Jmmy Clff, Black

Uhuru, Burnng Spear, Bg Youth, Peter Tosh, In Kamoze, Bg Mountan,

and many others. For the Survival sessons, Santa sat n wth the Walers

on the song “Afrca Unte.” Santa s certanly a Jamacan reggae con n

hs own rght, but hs assocaton wth the Walers on the Survival and

Uprising releases llustrated that he s among the most sought after mus-

cans on the sland.

surViVal toUr continUed

The Survival tour contnued when the group headed north nto Can-

ada before returnng to the Unted States for several East Coast appear-

ances. Although unwllng to let t stop hm, Bob had been fghtng a cold

snce startng the Survival tour. Incredbly, the cold would stay wth hm

throughout the tour. In Phladelpha, on November 7, Steve Wonder

joned the Walers on stage to sng “Get Up, Stand Up” and “Exodus.”

The Walers then pressed on nto the Mdwest on ther way to the West

Coast. The Mdwest dates ncluded stops n Mchgan, Wsconsn, Ill-

nos, and Mnnesota.

BOB MARLEY

The Walers agan crossed the border for a show n Alberta, Canada,

before begnnng ther trp south along the western coast of the Unted

States. As had been the case on prevous tours, the Walers were most

enthusastcally receved n Calforna. They played eght Calforna con-

certs as the tour contnued through the fall. Whle n Calforna, Bob’s

health mproved. However, he seemed constantly tred and ncreasngly

passed off hs dutes, such as gvng ntervews, to other members of the

band. The group then crossed the southern part of the country wth only

a few stops. The Survival tour drew to a close as the year ended. The band

played for the frst tme n Trndad and Tobago and concluded the tour n

Nassau wth an appearance at the Queen Elzabeth Sports Center.

In addton to the strong start to the tour, wth the headlnng appear-

ance on the Reggae Sunsplash II concert and the Amandla success, the

Survival tour had several other hghlghts. The performance n Santa Bar-

bara, Calforna, on November 25, was recorded and eventually released

as on VHS (later remastered to DVD). Also, the concert n Oakland,

Calforna, on November 30, featured a guest appearance by Rollng

Stones gutarst Ron Wood. The fnal concert of the tour, at the Queen

Elzabeth Sports Center n Nassau, was presented as a beneft concert for

the chldren n the Bahamas as part of the Internatonal Year of the Chld.

That nght, Bob donated the royaltes form the song “Chldren Playng

n the Streets” to the cause. Bob had wrtten the song for four of hs own

chldren—Zggy, Stephen, Sharon, and Cedella—who went on to form

ther own muscal group called the Melody Makers, and the group also

recorded the song.

UpriSinG

Phlosophcally, the Survivor album was a part of a larger puzzle that

Bob was tryng to construct. Wth the sounds and messages of the album,

Bob lad the groundwork for hs “call to acton” for all black people. Ths

message came n three nstallments as conceved by the songwrter. The

second part of the trlogy was the next album, Uprising. The thrd, al-

though released posthumously, was the album Confrontation. Bob was

careful about how he delvered hs thoughts on black acton. The frst step

was to survve four hundred years of persecuton at the hands of whte op-

pressors; next, the dsenfranchsed black populaton must band together

and shake loose ther shackles (ether lterally or fguratvely); and thrd,

they should make the move to a locaton where they could be free to

lve n peace (Afrca). Even durng the Survival tour, Bob was wrtng the

words for new songs that followed hs phlosophcal trajectory.

REGGAE INTERNATIONAL

Bob’s vson became a realty, at least n part. Due to the message n the

song “Zmbabwe,” Afrcan freedom fghters adopted the tune as a rallyng

pont. Zmbabwe’s Patrotc Front used the song to buoy ther sprts dur-

ng the long fght for freedom and consdered Bob a kndred sprt from

whom they drew strength. The song gave word to the reasons why many

of the solders were fghtng the war at all and unted them n a soldarty

that would eventually lead to vctory. Ths type of prophecy through song

went far to enhance Bob’s reputaton both durng hs lfe and n death.

Bob Marley was soon known as the nternatonal voce of freedom and he

was quckly adopted by oppressed people everywhere (regardless of color)

as a fgure to rally around.

As the Survivor tour and 1979 came to a close, Bob and the Walers

worked to set up the band’s schedule for the new year. They had already

planned a band trp to Afrca, tme n London, and recordng sessons for

the next album. As expected, the release of Uprising would also spawn a

massve tour. Ths had several purposes. Frst, t was meant to expose the

Walers’ musc to an even wder audence. Second, t served the purpose

of keepng Bob out of Jamaca for the general electon of 1980. And

thrd, t was to take the Walers to Afrca for the frst tme. The coordna-

ton of such a varety of actvtes was a major step. For these purposes,

Bob renamed hs company Tuff Gong Internatonal, as an ndcaton of

ther ever-broadenng worldvew.

uprising toUr

Because the Walers toured n advance of the U.S. release of the Upris-

ing album, offcally June 10, 1980, the band was already playng the new

songs before the audence had heard them on the recordng. The Upris-

ing tour entourage left Kngston on January 1, 1980, and traveled frst to

London and then on to Lbrevlle, Gabon, n western Afrca. The country

of Gabon s on the west coast of the Afrcan contnent. It s bordered by

Equatoral Gunea, Cameroon, the Republc of Congo, and the Gulf of

Gunea. Offcally called the Gabonese Republc, the country acheved

ndependence from France only n 1960. Snce then, ts presdent has been

El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondmba (who currently has the dstncton of beng

a very long servng head of state). The country has a lmted populaton

and abundant natural resources that make t among the most prosperous

n the regon.

The Walers had been booked to play for the presdent’s brthday

and the band’s exctement was palpable. Wth ths trp, Bob was real-

zng one of hs longest-sought goals. The show was also meant to expose

BOB MARLEY

the Walers’ musc to a prevously unntated group of people. The band

was scheduled to play two shows. Bob was mmensely excted about per-

formng n Afrca; he had ntally sad that he would pay for the tourng

expenses hmself as long as the Bongo famly pad for the actual Walers

appearance. He then left t to hs manager Don Taylor to make all of the

approprate arrangements wth the ol-rch Bongo famly.

retUrn to aFrica

The Walers’ tourng unt, and ther opener Betty Wrght, arrved n

Afrca and were dsmayed to learn that they were not to play for the

general publc at all. Instead, they had been slated to perform n a small

tenns area for only 2,000 of the Gabonese elte. Although Bob was un-

happy wth the arrangement, he was pleased when, durng the group’s

two-week stay; young Gabonese ctzens approached hm to dscuss Ras-

tafaransm. After the Walers had played the contracted two shows, the

band prepared to leave. Ths meant that t was tme to be pad for the en-

gagements. A dspute arose concernng the agreed-upon fee. Bob had es-

tablshed wth Taylor that the Walers would be pad a total of $40,000 for

the two appearances. Taylor was apparently demandng a fee of $60,000,

wth the suspected am of pocketng the other $20,000 for hmself.

A Bongo famly representatve heard that he was beng blamed for the

msunderstandng and mmedately went to Bob to straghten thngs out.

Bob reasoned wth the man and learned of Taylor’s decet. Not only had

Taylor marred an otherwse good Afrcan experence for the Walers, but

he had cast doubt on Bob’s character n the eyes of the Gabonese elte.

Bob straghtened everythng out wth the Bongo famly and ther repre-

sentatve, and then he and Taylor had a huge fght.

Durng ther three-hour argument, Taylor reportedly blamed the whole

thng on the Bongo famly representatve. Nevertheless, Bob was ncon-

solable. The exact facts of the blowup are not clear, but the result of Bob

and Taylor’s fght was that Taylor fnally admtted to mshandlng Bob’s

money. He had establshed a long-runnng practce of recevng as much

as $15,000 per show as an advance and passng along only $5,000 to Bob

and the band. Taylor also admtted to stealng from the Walers n another

manner. Bob would gve Taylor money, sometmes as much as $50,000 at

once, for Taylor to transfer to Famly Man back n Jamaca. Taylor then

exchanged ths money on the black market for as much as three tmes ts

face value. He then kept the ll-gotten gans and gave Famly Man only

the orgnal amount. The Walers’ manager was apparently not ready to

gve ths nformaton and whle reports conflct, t s possble that Bob

REGGAE INTERNATIONAL

had to beat a confesson out of hm. Once Bob knew the truth and the

nature of the betrayal, he demanded that Taylor return the money. Of

course, the crooked band manager could not produce hs llegal gans,

sayng that he had lost all the money gamblng. Ths left Bob no choce:

agan burned by the musc busness, Bob fred Don Taylor and he and hs

band left Gabon.

The Taylor ncdent was just the worst of many examples of people n

the musc ndustry preyng on Bob. He had had trouble gettng properly

pad for hs musc snce he frst began recordng. Ths led to a general

detestaton for members of the musc busness and worsened Bob’s dsdan

for those n power. Over the course of hs career, Bob had only one suc-

cessful relatonshp wth a musc ndustry nsder. Ths successful unon

was wth Chrstopher Blackwell, the Island Records label boss. Although

Bob and Blackwell’s relatonshp sometmes fell on hard tmes, t was wth

Blackwell’s help that Bob reached nternatonal fame.

From Afrca, the Walers returned to Jamaca and set about the job of

recordng new materal. Bob had enough new materal n hs head that

these sessons produced suffcent tracks for two full-length albums. The

frst record that was produced from these recordngs was ttled Uprising. It

was released n June 1980 and represented Bob n one of hs more mltant

phases. Hs lyrcal content was peppered wth bblcal quotes and hs mes-

sages spoke strongly of unty and redempton. Hs experence n Afrca

was evdent n the new materal, and the band’s sound was heaver to

reflect Bob’s mood.

The cover of the Uprising album depcted a trumphant dreadlocked

black man wth hs hands rased n the tradtonal “V” for vctory stance.

Hs locks were so long that they framed the album ttle, whch appeared

at hs wast. Behnd hm was an mage of the sun rasng over the top of a

green mountan (possbly representng the Blue Mountans of Jamaca).

The album tracks have been crtcally acclamed as some of Marley’s best

work. The songs on the album are “Comng n from the Cold,” “Real

Stuaton,” “Bad Card,” “We and Dem,” “Work,” “Zon Tran,” “Pmper’s

Paradse,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Forever Lovng Jah,” and “Redemp-

ton Song.”

The collecton was flled wth sold gold hts. In the years snce ts

release, Uprising has become essental lstenng for all reggae and Bob

Marley fans. Performng on the album were Bob, the Barrett brothers as

the rhythm secton, the I-Threes, Junor Marvn, Tyrone Downe, Alvn

“Seeco” Patterson, and Earl “Wya” Lndo. The songs were all recorded

and mxed at Tuff Gong Studos n Kngston, Jamaca. The 10-song testa-

ment to Bob’s phlosophy has only grown more ntense wth age.

BOB MARLEY

The songs on the album reference Bob’s lfe and pont an accusatory

fnger n the drecton of those who mstreated or wronged hm. Bob’s

Rastafaransm was evdent on almost all of the tracks. Bblcal quotatons

and paraphrases were also present n most songs. Other themes present

were unty, love, and cooperaton. Due to the rough qualty of Bob’s voce

on ths album, several bographers have speculated that Bob knew that hs

health was not good and that he would not lve much longer.

The album contaned several standout tracks wth autobographcal

lyrcs. “Bad Card” was Bob’s chroncle of hs experences wth Don Tay-

lor. Taylor was lterally the “bad card” that Bob drew and wth whch

he “made wrong moves” n hs busness dealngs. “Work” was another

of Bob’s calls to acton for all oppressed people. The song was structured

as a reverse countng song n whch Bob counted down from fve. The

countdown represented the perod untl the ultmate goal of freedom was

reached. The song ended wth Bob declarng that Jah’s people can make

t work.

Bob’s use of bblcal quotatons and paraphrases n hs lyrcs reached a

new heght on Uprising. Here Bob repeatedly evoked bblcal sentment,

story, and prophecy through repeated use of the psalms. An example of ths

was found n the most popular song from the Uprising album, “Redemp-

ton Song.” In ths song, Marley created a seres of mages. Frst he placed

hmself n a colonal-era slave shp, then he quckly shfted to bblcal

language from Psalm 88, descrbng beng cast nto a bottomless pt. Bob

also made use of text from Matthew 24:34 n the song, when he referred to

kllng prophets, and he agan alled hmself wth Joseph through the use

of text from Geness 49:24. In the song, Bob was able to overcome these

dffcult scenaros through the help of almghty Jah. Another nterestng

feature of the song was that t was Bob’s only track recorded wthout a

backng band. Here Bob was at hs most personal, sngng wth only an

acoustc gutar for support. Although he dd not know t at the tme, “Re-

dempton Song” was the last song that Bob would release durng hs lfe.

After the sessons that produced Uprising were completed, Bob brefly

vsted Mam. He was tred and wanted to rest, plus he needed to

straghten out hs management stuaton, as he was gearng up for an-

other extended Walers tour. At the same tme, he was also acutely aware

that hs most recent album fulflled hs record contract wth Island. So,

n addton to needng a new manager, he was also soon to be wthout

a record deal. In Mam, Bob met wth Danny Sms, who made t clear

that Bob’s recordng nterests would be better served by swtchng labels

and movng to Polygram Records. Bob opted to stck wth Blackwell’s

Island Records label. Interestngly, Polygram eventually purchased Island

REGGAE INTERNATIONAL

Records n a 1989 merger. In 1998, Seagram bought Polygram and ab-

sorbed t nto the Unversal Musc Group.

BoB tUrnS 35

In the face of all of ths tumult, Bob decded to blow off a lttle steam

and he threw hmself a massve 35th brthday party. The part was held

on February 6, 1980, at the house at 56 Hope Road. For the bash, Bob

surrounded hmself wth hs frends and famly and pad specal atten-

ton to all of the chldren gathered n the Hope Road yard. Frequently

n Bob’s lfe, he was captured n photographs nteractng wth chldren.

It was clear from these mages that Bob’s often gruff exteror melted away

when he was n the company of chldren.

Whle n Jamaca celebratng hs brthday, Bob agan notced a change

n the musc of hs sland home. The reggae style behnd whch he was

the drvng force was beng nfluenced by a new style called “rub-a-dub.”

The most popular example of ths style n 1980 was the duo Papa Mchgan

and General Smley. Mchgan and Smley were born Anthony Farclough

and Erroll Bennett and emerged on the Jamacan popular musc scene as

two of the earlest dual DJ outfts. They recorded wth Bob’s old producer

Clement “Coxsone” Dodd and had nstant success. Ther notable songs

from ths tme were “Rub a Dub Style” and “Nce Up the Dance.” The

par realzed Bob’s star power and swtched over to hs Tuff Gong Records

mprnt.

The rub-a-dub style was very popular n the early 1980s and was char-

acterzed by a fast tempo, heavy use of the bass drum on beats two and

four, and DJ toastng. Toastng was the Jamacan predecessor to rappng n

New York and was acheved when DJs delvered mprovsed lyrcs over a

prerecorded beat. The beats were taken from “dub plates,” whch were the

B-sdes of Jamacan sngles released wth the words removed. The emer-

gence of rub-a-dub, the shft of Mchgan and Smley to Tuff Gong, and

the Jamacan practce of toastng were just of few of the exctng changes

n the Jamacan musc ndustry n the early 1980s.

At the same tme, Jamaca was agan descendng nto poltcally mo-

tvated volence. Bob was aware of ths dangerous stuaton and kept to

hmself whle on the sland. Hs entourage and famly were always around

hm, but he was careful to avod a repeat of the 1976 attempt on hs lfe.

Securty was mantaned around the reggae superstar through the help of

the Twelve Trbes of Israel Rastafaran brotherhood. Durng the run-up to

the electons of 1980, PNP and JLP clashes resulted n 750 deaths, and

several pollng statons never opened on the electon day due to the fear

BOB MARLEY

of volence. Realzng that the Jamacan stuaton was gettng out of con-

trol, Bob retreated to Mam to plan hs next move.

Whle n Mam, Bob learned that Bucky Marshall had been shot and

klled at a block party n Brooklyn, New York, whch made Bob uneasy

even n the Unted States. Ths dffcult stuaton was quckly tempered

by joy when Bob and the band were nvted to perform as part of the n-

dependence day celebratons for the newly establshed Afrcan country of

Zmbabwe.

Bob was aware that hs song “Zmbabwe” had become qute popular n

Afrca and that t was a rallyng cry for the dsenfranchsed on the Afrcan

contnent. However, he was awed by the nvtaton to return to Afrca for

the purposes of helpng to offcally declare the exstence of a new Afr-

can naton. The leaders of the country formerly known as Rhodesa had

realzed that the poltcal stuaton was too unstable to contnue. In the

md-1960s, Ian Smth had set up a whte mnorty party and declared un-

offcal ndependence from the Brtsh government. Smth was apposed by

Robert Mugabe and hs Zmbabwe Afrcan Natonal Unon (ZANU) and

Joshua Nkomo’s Zmbabwe Afrcan People’s Unon (ZAPU). In 1980,

ths conflct came to a head and a general electon was held. Mugabe and

ZANU won a landslde vctory, England gave up any colonal tes to the

country, and Rhodesa was offcally renamed Zmbabwe.

Bob Marley and the Walers were the proud headlners of the Indepen-

dence Day celebratons that marked the offcal nauguraton of Zmba-

bwe as a free Afrcan naton. Mugabe’s general secretary, Edgar Tekere,

contacted Bob to nvte hm to be one of the offcatng dgntares at the

ndependence celebratons, as hs musc had played such a key role n

emboldenng the sprts of the Zmbabwean freedom fghters. After the

formal nvtaton to attend the celebraton had been delvered, Bob was

vsted by two Afrcan busnessmen who nvted hm and the Walers to

perform as part of the event. Bob was so honored by ths that he made a

commtment to havng the Walers perform and he promsed to pay the

band’s travel expenses hmself. He lkely stll had the Don Taylor/Gabon

fasco n hs head when he made these arrangements.

Although Bob and the band were ecstatc about ther nvtaton to

Zmbabwe, they were n serous dffculty. The nvtaton had arrved

wth very short notce and the lack of a band manager had not yet been

resolved. Regardless, Bob and the group pressed on, and three days later

they landed at Salsbury Arport. The country’s captal cty was called

Salsbury, but was beng renamed Harare. The Walers were met at the

arport by Joshua Nkomo, who had been the leader of the ZAPU move-

ment and had been made Mugabe’s mnster of home affars. Bob was

REGGAE INTERNATIONAL

amazed that he was also greeted by Mugabe hmself and Brtan’s Prnce

Charles. Mugabe was on hand to offcally welcome Bob and the band

and Prnce Charles was the Brtsh representatve who would lower hs

country’s flag for the last tme durng the ndependence ceremony.

ZimBaBwe Freedom concert

Shortly after the Walers were welcomed n Salsbury/Harare, a Boe-

ng 707 flled wth equpment arrved. Twenty-one tons of Walers’ gear,

stagng, lghts, and a 25,000-watt amplfcaton system wth 20 foot tall

speaker boxes were unloaded and set up by a 12-man road crew. Bob Mar-

ley and the Walers were preparng to gve one of ther most memorable

performances n ther ancestral homeland. The concert appearance was

marked by the members of the band as the hghest muscal honor of ther

careers.

The concert was set for Aprl 18, 1980, and durng the ndependence

day celebratons Rhodesa offcally became Zmbabwe. The Walers agan

assumed that they would be performng for the Afrcan masses and were ds-

apponted to learn that they were slotted to perform mmedately after the

ndependence ceremony for an audence of dgntares, ncludng Mugabe,

Prnce Charles, and Inda’s Indra Gandh. Bob Marley and the Walers

took the stage at 8:30 n the evenng, mmedately after Zmbabwe’s new

natonal flag was rased for the frst tme.

When the Walers played ther frst notes n the Rufaro Stadum on

the edge of the captal cty, pandemonum broke loose. A massve crowd

had assembled outsde the gates of the venue and when they heard the

band begn to play they rushed the gates. Excted and expectant, the

crowd was too bg to control, and the natonal securty force launched

tear gas drectly nto the crush of gate crashers. Bob and the band were

removed from the stage whle order was restored. Once the crowd had

been controlled, the Walers retook the stage. They were told that they

had only two more mnutes n ther allotted tme and mmedately cut

nto a scorchng performance of “War.” Wth ther tme elapsed, the band

then broke nto “No More Trouble,” followed by the show stopper “Zm-

babwe.” The Walers’ set ended wth all n attendance sngng along to

the chorus of the de facto natonal anthem of the newborn country.

After ther set, the Walers agreed to play another concert the next

day. Over 100,000 people saw the Walers perform the day after Zmbabwe

acheved ts ndependence. The band staged a 90-mnute set of Walers

classcs. However, Bob, who had been notceably shaken the prevous day

by the tear gas ncdent, dd not seem hs usual self durng the performance.

BOB MARLEY

After the concerts n Zmbabwe, the Walers left Afrca, and on the plane

several members of the entourage notced that Bob dd not appear healthy.

Hs complexon was ashen and he dd not look well.

After the performance n Zmbabwe n Aprl, the Walers launched the

tour n support of ther Uprising album n May. The tour was slated to be

the bggest Walers’ undertakng yet. They were set to play n a varety of

locatons that they had not prevously vsted, such as Swtzerland, Ire-

land, Scotland, and Italy. The tour schedule was rgorous, wth sx shows

per week and each show set for a dfferent cty. Over the course of the

tour the band played for over a mllon people, a feat that few have re-

peated snce.

The tour began at the Hallenstadon n Zurch, Swtzerland. It was

a frst for the band, whch was well receved by a new crowd. Next the

group traveled to Germany for a show at the Horse Rdng Stadum n

Munch. The group was the openng act for Fleetwood Mac as part of

the Munch Festval on June 1. The tour then alternated pars of shows

between Germany and France for two weeks. The Dortmund, Germany,

show on June 12 was staged at the Westfalen Stadum and was broadcast

on German TV and recorded on vdeo for posterty. Whle tourng, Bob

was agan wrtng new musc. One example was the song “Slogans,” whch

was not released untl November 8, 2005, on the album Africa Unite:

The Singles Collection. The song was a testament to the poltcal les and

posturng that contnually led Jamaca nto volent upheaval.

After leavng Germany for the thrd tme durng the tour, the Wal-

ers performed shows n Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgum, and Holland.

They reentered France for a par of concerts and then moved on to Italy.

Two shows n Italy exposed the band to another new audence before the

Walers moved on to Span, France agan, Ireland, England, and Scotland.

The concert n Mlan, Italy, on June 27 was performed for an audence n

excess of 120,000 people who had crammed nto the sold-out San Sro

Stadum. Incredbly, ths show s stll regarded as the most hghly attended

musc event staged n Italy. After a month of European dates, the Walers

embarked for the Amercan leg of the tour.

Leavng Europe, Bob returned to Mam for two months between

the two parts of the tour. Wthout management, Bob’s fnancal affars

were n run and thngs were only gettng worse. Further, n the wake

of the splt wth Taylor, Bob had sued hs ex-manager for a mllon dol-

lars and Taylor had countersued. All of ths was made worse when Bob

learned that he could not return to Jamaca to see hs chldren because

the sland had agan been plunged nto volence leadng up to the elec-

ton. In Mam, Bob spoke to Danny Sms, who warned hm sternly of

REGGAE INTERNATIONAL

the negatve consequences of returnng to Jamaca. Sms beleved that

Bob’s reappearance on the sland at ths tme would be vewed as an

endorsement of the Manley PNP government and hs lfe would agan

be n jeopardy. Although ths news was grave, Sms dd tell Bob that he

had been brokerng a deal for the Walers to move to Polygram Records,

a deal that would be worth several mllon dollars.

BoB’S FailinG health

As the Walers were gearng up for the Amercan leg of the Uprising

tour, there was ncreasng worry and dscusson about Bob’s health. The

reggae superstar was even slmmer than he always had been, and hs fea-

tures were drawn and gaunt. Members of the band blamed ths on the busy

European tourng schedule as they all had ther own malades or alments

comng off the tour.

In September 1980, the band began the Amercan Uprising tour n Mas-

sachusetts then headed to Rhode Island and New York. The New York

shows were held at Madson Square Garden as a supportng act to the

Amercan group the Commodores (Lonel Rche’s orgnal band). Even

after two months of down tme, Bob stll appeared sck. Not one to talk

about hs health, Bob brushed off any attempts by members of the band to

dscuss how he felt. Only once dd he tp hs hand when he mentoned to

hs gutarst Al Anderson that hs stomach and throat hurt. Hs voce was

thn and hoarse, and rumors began to swrl about suspected drug use (that

s, other then the large quanttes of ganja that he regularly smoked).

As the Walers moved through ther frst Amercan shows of the Up-

rising tour, Bob’s health was begnnng to vsbly fal. In New York, on

September 18, the Walers band moved nto the Gramercy Hotel, but Bob

stayed at the Essex House away from the group. Ths solaton was not spe-

cfcally a cause for alarm, as once n a whle Bob stayed at a locaton away

from the band to gve hm a place n whch to conduct ntervews and

band busness. On September 19, Bob sat for several rado ntervews and

made an appearance at the Jamacan Progressve League. Next he went to

Madson Square Garden to prepare the group’s sound check.

The Walers’ sound check was postponed because the road crew was

stll buldng the Commodores’ stage. To Bob’s dsmay, ths postponement

eventually turned nto an outrght cancellaton. When the Walers took

the stage that nght n front of 20,000 excted fans, ther road engneer

had to arrange a decent mx whle the band was movng through ts

actual set. The Walers played ther two-nght stand at Madson Square

Garden n support of the Commodores. After the second show, Bob was

BOB MARLEY

bedrdden. The exerton of beng on stage for the past two nghts had left

hm completely draned and agan hs health was questoned.

Even though Bob was completely worn out, the tour contnued on

around hm. Rta called hm to see f he would be nterested n gong

to an Ethopan Orthodox Church, but he could not be rased out to

bed to go anywhere. Shortly, though, Bob felt well enough to take Alan

“Skll” Cole up on an offer to go for a jog n Central Park. Whle joggng

through the park Bob had a sezure and called out to Cole. He collapsed

nto Cole’s arms, unable to move, so Cole carred hm back to the hotel.

After restng for a whle, Bob reganed hs ablty to move, but stll dd

not feel well.

The Wailers: (from left) Bunny,

Bob, Carlie, Peter, and Aston ca.

1971. Courtesy of Photofest.

Bob on stage wearing his signature denim shirt in 1976. Courtesy of Photofest.

66a

Bob in the hospital after being shot

in 1976. Courtesy of Photofest.

Bob in a contemplative mood in 1978.

Courtesy of Photofest.

66b

The Wailers in 1980. Courtesy of Photofest.

Bob on stage in 1980. Courtesy of Photofest.

66c

Bob on stage in 1980 with his Gibson Les

Paul guitar. Courtesy of Photofest.

66d

chapter 5

hoMe to Mount Zion

After hs collapse n Central Park, Bob rested for several hours. He was

mmedately joned by Rta and together they tred to reason out what

was wrong wth hm. Bob deflected Rta’s fears sayng that he was feelng

better and just needed to rest. Feelng assured that Bob was gong to be all

rght, Rta agreed to meet hm later at a local dance club. The club, called

Negrl, was located n Greenwch Vllage, and whle Rta and the other

I-Threes were there they were told that Bob was not feelng well enough

to jon them. Bob’s health had agan taken a turn for the worse.

BoB and cancer

The next week dawned wth plans to travel to Pttsburgh for the Sep-

tember 23 show at the Stanley Theater. Rta phoned Bob to meet hm and

rde to the arport together. Bob told her that he would meet her n Ptts-

burgh as he stll had another ntervew to do n New York. As t turned

out, there was no other ntervew. Bob, concerned about hs worsenng

health, contacted hs personal physcan, Dr. Frazer, and went to have a

checkup. Bob submtted to a varety of X-rays and a bran scan. The re-

sults of the tests stopped Bob n hs tracks. The doctor’s dagnoss was that

Bob had a large cancerous bran tumor. Further, the sezure he had had n

Central Park had n fact been a stroke.

The doctor drected Bob to cancel the remanng tour dates and m-

medately submt to cancer treatment. The worst of the grm news was

the doctor’s predcton that Bob had only two or three weeks left to lve.

In hs typcally defant manner, Bob met ths terrble news by sayng that

BOB MARLEY

he wanted a second opnon. He then made plans to meet the tour n

Pttsburgh. Arrvng at the Walers’ hotel n Pttsburgh, Bob was met by

Rta. Able to read the stuaton n Bob’s face, Rta attempted to cancel

the tour on the spot. However, sck or not, Bob was stll the leader of the

group and would not hear of a cancellaton.

On September 23, 1980, Bob Marley and the Walers performed

ther fnal lve show. Staged at the Stanley Theater, a medum-szed yet

ntmate venue that has subsequently been renamed the Benedum Center

after substantal renovatons. The nght of the show, Bob came on stage

and wthout hestaton tore nto an ncredble set ncludng “Natural

Mystc,” “Postve Vbraton,” “Burnn’ and Lootn’,” “Them Belly Full,”

“Heathen,” and “Runnng Away/Crazy Baldheads.” As part of the Walers’

90-mnute set, the Barrett Brothers moved the rhythms of the songs

along at a faster than ordnary pace. Although deathly ll, Bob gave hs

tradtonally energetc performance, followng the openng numbers wth

“War/No More Trouble,” “Zmbabwe,” “Zon Tran,” “No Woman, No

Cry,” “Jammng,” and “Exodus.” The crowed erupted n applause at the

end of the standard set. The Walers then broke nto a seres of encores.

Typcally, Bob dd not entertan four encores, but he stayed on stage as

long as he could ths nght.

The frst encore was performed by Bob alone, wth only hs gutar to

accompany hm. Hs performance of “Redempton Song” was rendered

more pognant wth the knowledge that ths was hs fnal show. After ths

solo performance, the rest of the Walers retook the stage and the second

encore was a performance of “Comng In from the Cold.” The end of ths

song should have been the end of the concert. However, Bob motoned

to the band to stay on stage and tore nto “Is Ths Love.” The fnal song

of the nght was the Walers classc “Work.” Constructed as an old-

fashoned countng song (countng down nstead of up), the performance

of ths song was Bob markng the end of the band. As he sang “fve days

to go, workng for the next day, four days to go now, workng for the

next day,” the members of the band realzed that ther leader was count-

ng down to the end of the band. Wth ths the concert ended, and Bob

Marley and the Walers left the stage for the fnal tme.

In the wake of the Pttsburgh show, the rest of the Uprising tour was

canceled and the Walers’ tourng machne was dsmantled. The group

and entourage refocused ther energes from performng to carng for and

about Bob. Wth Rta, Bob went to hs mother’s house n Mam to con-

sder the next move. Bob wanted to pursue a second opnon and to that

end he submtted to addtonal testng at Cedars of Lebanon Hosptal. The

doctors at Cedars referred hm to the Memoral Sloan-Ketterng Cancer

HOME TO MOUNT ZION

Center n New York. In early October, Bob was tested by the experts at

Sloan-Ketterng. Bob’s hopes were that the orgnal dagnoss would turn

out to be ncorrect. Instead, he quckly learned that hs condton was

even worse than orgnally reported. He not only had a cancerous tumor

n hs bran, but he also had cancer n hs lungs and stomach.

more Bad newS

Wth ths more specfc dagnoss, Bob was nformed that he lkely had

between four and fve weeks left to lve and that he should put hs affars

n order. As a means of relevng the pressure caused by the tumor n hs

skull, Bob began recevng radaton treatments to try to reduce the sze

of the bran tumor. An unfortunate result of the Sloan-Ketterng vst

was that Bob’s condton was leaked to the meda. On October 8, 1980,

news of Bob’s cancer was announced on varous rado statons n New

York. Staton WLIB was the frst to announce Bob’s health concerns over

the rado. The news spread quckly and soon Bob’s condton was known

nternatonally.

In order to be near to hs place of treatment, Bob took up resdence n

New York. He checked nto the hstorc Wellngton Hotel. The hotel’s

central locaton, just a few blocks south of Central Park, allowed Bob easy

access to hs outpatent treatments as well as to anythng else he wshed

to do. Intally, the radaton treatment that Bob had agreed to was suc-

cessful n controllng hs dscomfort and he grew stronger. In fact, Bob felt

well enough to attend hs frend Muhammad Al’s frst comeback fght

aganst Larry Holmes. The fght was blled as the “Last Hurrah” and Al

fought valantly, but at almost 39 years old, he was beaten by a techncal

knockout by the much younger Holmes, who was n hs prme and had

been champon for over two years. Bob also attended the New York per-

formance of the rock band Queen, whch was tourng n support of ts

1980 album The Game.

At tmes, Bob even felt well enough to return to hs favorte pastme,

soccer. He and Cole attempted to play, but Bob soon realzed that he

was not strong enough to run and he could only st on the sdelne and

watch. Although Bob was pushng hmself and generally feelng better,

he took a turn for the worse when he had another mnor stroke. Wth the

toll that ths took on hs body, Bob was no longer able to stand wthout

assstance and he began to lose weght. Seeng ths, Bob’s doctors began

admnsterng chemotherapy. An unfortunate outcome of ths treatment

was that Bob’s lengthy dreadlocks began to fall out. When ths began,

Bob requested scssors to cut the rest of hs locks and resgned hmself to

BOB MARLEY

the loss of ths sgnature characterstc. As the chemotherapy progressed,

Bob contnued to lose weght and he took on an ashen appearance that

seemed to sgnal that the end was near.

BaptiSm into the ethiopian

orthodox chUrch

Realzng her son’s closeness to death, Cedella began pressurng Bob to

be baptzed nto the Ethopan Orthodox church. At frst Bob ressted as

he professed hs fath to Hale Selasse. However, Cedella remnded Bob

that she had been so baptzed whle Bob was n utero. Bob contnued hs

protest, notng that hs afflaton wth the Twelve Trbes made hm a

natural rval of the Ethopan Orthodox followers. Despte ths argument,

Bob eventually agreed to be baptzed and on November 4, 1980, Bob

became a member of the Ethopan Orthodox church. Wth ths move,

Robert Nesta Marley was chrstened Berhane Selasse. Bob’s new name

meant “Lght of the Holy Trnty.” Even as Bob’s sprtualty grew, hs

health contnued to declne. As a result of the cancer and strokes he was

now paralyzed from the wast down and was stll losng weght. It began to

seem that the chemotherapy tself was hastenng Bob’s death.

BoB and Unconventional

cancer treatment

Realzng that the current course of acton was not gong to allow

Bob to lve much longer, Bob’s physcan referred hm to a German doc-

tor named Josef Issels. Issels was known for hs success wth holstc cancer

treatment. Although he had been blacklsted by the Amercan Cancer

Socety, hs unconventonal methods could do no greater harm to Bob

than the cancer was already dong. Feelng as though there was lttle left

to lose, Bob, Cole, and Dr. Frazer engaged Dr. Issels as Bob’s physcan of

last resort.

In early November, Bob and a small group of supporters traveled to

Bad Wessee, Germany. There they located Issels’ clnc, called Sunshne

House, standng n the shadow of the Bavaran Alps. Bob’s condton

upon arrval was so poor that there was concern that the trp tself could

lead to hs death. Reachng Sunshne House, there was speculaton that

Bob would only lve for a few more days. Issels mmedately began treat-

ng Bob. An mportant aspect of the treatment was to gan the trust of the

wly Rasta.

HOME TO MOUNT ZION

Gradually, Issels ganed Bob’s trust and the doctor set about several

tasks. Frst, he had to stablze Bob’s quckly deteroratng condton and

then he could work to control the cancer. The ntal step was to confrm

Bob’s earler dagnoss. Once Issels took an accountng of the cancer n

Bob’s head, lungs, and stomach, he began treatng these afflcted areas.

Issels’ unorthodox treatments nvolved hypertherma, blood transfusons,

and njectons of THX. Hypertherma was artfcally rasng the patent’s

temperature to heghts that the body normally dd not have to wth-

stand. Blood transfusons were used to cleanse the weak and overworked

cells from the patent’s body. The use of THX was not avalable to Bob

n the Unted States as ths drug was not cleared for use n the county.

Interestngly nearly 30 years later, THX has stll not been proven to have

any postve objectve effect on cancer. However, Bob’s condton began

to mprove under Issels’ care and treatment.

Remarkably, Bob’s health contnued to mprove over the next several

weeks. Durng ths perod, he and hs mother lved at Sunshne House n

a small apartment. As hs condton mproved, Bob was agan able to walk

short dstances. Hs daly routne ncluded two short walks to hs treat-

ment sessons. For treatment, Dr. Issels contnued to use hypertherma

sessons, whch nvolved shootng 180-degree beams of ultravolet heat at

Bob’s varous tumors. The dea behnd ths type of treatment was that the

extreme heat would weaken the cancer cells and allow Bob’s own mmune

system to fght them more effectvely. The treatments were long, frequent,

and panful, but through t all the noble Rasta endured n slence.

Three months nto hs treatment, and sgnfcantly past when he was

orgnally expected to de, Bob celebrated hs 36th brthday. On Febru-

ary 6, 1981, Bob entertaned many of the Walers band members at a

brthday celebraton n Bad Wessee. All of the members of the band

attended, wth the notable excepton of the Barrett brothers. Bob’s well-

wshers had expected to fnd ther former leader near death. Instead, they

were greeted by Bob n hgh sprts, at least passable health, and wth

some returnng har. A by-product of ths gatherng was that Bob agan

became part of the Tuff Gong Internatonal machne. Through corre-

spondence wth hs lawyer, Dane Jobson, Bob began agan overseeng

the work of hs busness. Ths flurry of actvty seemed to add to Bob’s

strength, to the pont that he began to engage n lght exercse agan.

Even wth ths mprovement, Jobson noted that Bob weghed only about

100 pounds at hs brthday party.

Whle Bob’s early February health was encouragng, by the end of

March hs mother agan notced hs condton worsenng. Hs strength

was quckly lost and hs ablty to walk unasssted went wth t Cedella

BOB MARLEY

was no longer able to rase her son from long hours of lyng n bed. Another

dscouragng sgn came wth Bob’s refusal to eat or drnk. Wth ths, Ce-

della knew that Bob was not long for ths world. Helpless to postvely

affect her son’s health, she nstead worked on rasng hs sprts. To ths

end, Cedella spent tme sngng to Bob, remndng hm of ther good tmes

together n the Jamacan hlls and Kngston.

Astonshngly, Dr. Issels choose ths pvotal tme to take a vacaton.

Cedella was amazed at the doctor’s cavaler atttude to her alng son’s

health. Issels left Cedella and Bob n the hands of hs assstants n early

Aprl. At ths pont, Bob was a mere shell of hs former self. Hs weght

was estmated at just over 70 pounds and he could not care for hmself n

any meanngful manner. Bob’s lawyer Jobson protested the doctor’s dec-

son to leave at ths tme, but to no aval.

Makng a bad stuaton worse was Bob’s fnancal stuaton. It was com-

mon knowledge that he dd not have a wll and everyone ncreasngly

beleved that he could not lve much longer. Further compoundng these

problems, members of the Walers were makng overseas calls pleadng for

ther shares of the band’s earnngs. Wthout a wll, all of Bob’s earnngs,

future royaltes, and song lcenses would pass to Rta on hs death.

BoB’S retUrn to miami

Late n Aprl, Dr. Issels returned to Sunshne House and decded to

perform surgery on Bob to releve the pan that the tumor n hs stomach

was causng. Bob’s Rastafaran convctons were agan aroused (n oppos-

ton to the nvasveness of surgery). However, Bob’s condton was so poor

that there was lttle choce. In early May, Bob’s doctor admtted to Ce-

della and Jobson that the most famous Waler would lkely de wthn the

next two weeks. Issels had lost hope n hs own treatments to assst Bob

any further. In response to ths news, t was decded that Bob should be

brought back to the home that he had purchased for hs mother n Mam.

Plans were made quckly to ensure that Bob was strong enough to make

the trp. A plane was chartered and the small group made the trp back to

the Unted States. Unable to care for Bob themselves, Cedella and Jobson

checked hm back nto the Cedars of Lebanon Hosptal. The staff was

not nstructed to treat Bob’s now numerous afflctons; nstead they were

smply meant to keep hm comfortable n hs fnal days.

Bob survved the transatlantc trp, but contnued to weaken. On May 11,

1981, hs vtal sgns became erratc and Rta was summoned. She was told

that Bob would lkely only lve for a few more hours and she should be

wth hm. Rta sat wth Bob and sang hymns that she knew he would

HOME TO MOUNT ZION

enjoy. Soon, Bob’s breathng became labored and Rta called for Cedella

to come and be wth her son. By the tme she arrved, Bob’s condton

had stablzed. Cedella and Rta prayed over Bob and he sad that he was

feelng a lttle better. Durng ths short rally, Bob sad goodbye to hs sons

Zggy and Stephen. He also sad that he was thrsty. Cedella gave Bob a

glass of water, whch he drank completely.

Shortly before noon, the nurses had Cedella help them roll Bob onto hs

sde for an X-ray. Afterward, Bob slept for a short tme. When he awoke he

asked hs mother to come close to hm. As she dd, he lost conscousness

brefly and he quetly slpped away. At approxmately 11:45 on Wednesday,

March 11, 1981, the ncendary voce of the nternatonal reggae superstar

Robert Nesta Marley was slenced for the fnal tme.

BoB’S FUneral arranGementS

Bob was memoralzed n a servce held at hs mother’s Vsta Lane house

n Mam the followng day. The entre day frends of Bob’s streamed

through the house, ncludng Sms, Taylor, Blackwell, and varous mus-

cans who had played wth Bob. Bob’s body was on dsplay throughout

the day. He was lad n a bronze casket that showed hs body from the

wast up. In hs rght hand was a copy of the Bble opened to the Twenty-

Thrd Psalm, and hs left hand rested on hs favorte gutar. The use of

the Twenty-Thrd Psalm was ntentonal, as ths bblcal passage pro-

clamed that the Lord s the shepherd and that those who dwell n the

house of the Lord should fear no evl.

Next, Bob’s body was returned to Jamaca for a natonal funeral. On

Tuesday, May 19, Bob’s body was brought back to Jamaca for a two-

day state funeral arranged by the offce of the prme mnster. In 1981,

Edward Seaga was the prme mnster, and Seaga’s offce arranged for Bob

to receve Jamaca’s thrd hghest award, the Jamacan Order of Mert.

Bob was posthumously granted ths award and the assocated medal that

reads, “He that does the truth comes nto the lght.” The award was pre-

sented to Bob’s eldest son, Zggy, on Bob’s behalf. Wth ths, Bob became

the Honorable Robert Nesta Marley, O.M. Seaga also made May 20 a

natonal day of mournng and Bob’s body lay n state. Throughout the

day, the coffn was on dsplay for mourners to pay ther respects.

Due to Bob’s enormous popularty, hs body was on dsplay n the

Natonal Arena all of Frday, May 20. Ths allowed even more mourn-

ers to vew hs remans and reports ndcate that as many as 40,000

Jamacans passed through the gates of the arena durng the day. As the

crowd grew and became uncontrollable, the polce unleashed tear gas on

BOB MARLEY

the mourners. Durng the chaos, Bob’s body was guarded by the Jamacan

polce and members of the Twelve Trbes of Israel Rastafaran sect.

In lght of hs converson to the Ethopan Orthodox Church, the

followng day Bob’s body was brought to that church’s headquarters on

Maxfeld Avenue. There Bob’s body receved the tradtonal Ethopan

Orthodox funeral. From Maxfeld Avenue, Bob’s body was taken by mo-

torcade past hs house on Hope Road on ts way back to the Natonal

Arena. A publc servce was held, ncludng a performance by many of

the Walers. A notable omsson was Tyrone Downe, who was too over-

whelmed emotonally to perform. Bob’s mother, hs half-sster Pearl Lv-

ngston, and a frend of the famly sang a song called “Hal,” whch was

wrtten by Bob’s mother. The I-Threes then sang “Rastaman Chant” and

“Natural Mystc” wth the support of the Walers.

The publc funeral servce led by Archbshop Yesuhaq began at 11:00.

Yesuhaq was the Ethopan Orthodox offcal who had baptzed Bob

the prevous year. The funeral party ncluded Bob’s mmedate famly,

Governor-General Florzel Glasspole, and former Jamacan Prme Mnster

Mchael Manley, Alan “Skll” Cole.” Glasspole, Manley, and Cole each

read bblcal passages as assgned by Yesuhaq. Cole read lnes from Isa-

ah and shouted to members of the Twelve Trbes who were n atten-

dance and he thought were beng gnored. The archbshop read form

Matthew 5 and then all n attendance rose to ther feet for the Lord’s

Prayer. The fnal speaker was Prme Mster Edward Seaga, who delvered

Bob’s eulogy. Seaga’s words and sentments were partcularly pognant

as he and Bob had opposte vews on how to run Jamaca. Regardless of

ther dfferences, Seaga spoke the followng words:

Hs message was a protest aganst njustce, a comfort for the

oppressed. He stood there, performed there, hs message reached

there and everywhere. Today’s funeral servce s an nterna-

tonal rght of a natve son. He was born n a humble cottage

nne mles from Alexandra n the parsh of St. Ann. He lved n

the western secton of Kngston as a boy where he joned n the

struggle of the ghetto. He learned the message of survval n hs

boyhood days n Kngston’s west end. But t was hs raw talent,

unswervng dscplne and sheer perseverance that transported

hm from just another vctm of the ghetto to the top rankng

superstar n the entertanment ndustry of the thrd world.

After Seaga’s eulogy, Bob’s casket was loaded nto the open back of

a blue and whte Chevrolet pckup truck by a mltary detal of sx men

HOME TO MOUNT ZION

clothed n whte coats wth black belts and black pants. A blue blanket

was tacked to the top of the truck’s bed to shade the casket from the sun.

As Bob began hs last journey to hs ancestral home n Nne Mle, nyabn-

gh hand drummers played as he went. The truck was followed for a short

tme by a robed prest wth ncense. The long motorcade began wndng

ts way from Kngston to St. Ann’s parsh. On the 55-mle route, Bob’s

body passed thousands of Jamacans on hand to bd ther natonal hero a

fond farewell. Along the way, Bob’s body passed over the Blue Mountans

and was wtnessed by a seemngly constant stream of people along the

sdes of the road.

When the motorcade reached Nne Mle t was greeted by another

teamng horde of well-wshers. Fve hours after leavng Kngston, Bob’s

body was fnally comng to ts last restng place. On the grounds of Bob’s

famlal homestead, a modest whte mausoleum had been bult. Bob’s body

was enshrned wthn ths sngle-chamber tomb wthn sght of where he

had been born. The tomb tself was blessed by offcals of the Twelve

Trbes and the Ethopan Orthodox Church. In the presence of hs famly

and many onlookers, Bob’s tomb was sealed three tmes. The frst seal was

a red metal plate wth a gold Star of Davd, the second was a metal grate

that was bolted on, and the thrd was a layer of free concrete that was pat-

ted nto place by several Rastafarans wth ther bare hands.

Bob was lad to rest wth the knd of pomp and crcumstance that was

only afforded to heads of state. Durng the funeral and the rde across the

sland, t was estmated that hs motorcade was vewed by n excess of

one hundred thousand people. Snce hs enshrnement, Bob’s patrarchal

home has become a place of plgrmage, to whch people travel from all

over the world to vst the fallen reggae warror’s remans.

Bob receved many sgnfcant rewards durng hs abbrevated lfe. Two

of the most sgnfcant were the 1976 Rolling Stone Magazine award for

Band of the Year and the 1978 Peace Medal of the Thrd World from

the Unted Natons. However, n death, prase was vrtually heaped upon

the reggae superstar. These awards are a testament to Bob’s legacy and l-

lustrate the strength and nfluence of hs muscal style. In 1994, Bob was

nducted nto the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame n Cleveland, Oho. Wth

ths he joned a small and elte group of Amercan musc superstars. Snce

t opened ts doors n 1993, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has nducted

only 97 members and Bob Marley s one of them.

Bob has also been honored by recevng the 43rd Grammy Lfetme

Achevement Award. He has hs own star on the Hollywood Walk of

Fame, and n 1999 hs album Exodus was recognzed by Time magazne

as the Album of the Century. The Brtsh Broadcastng Company (BBC)

named Bob’s song “One Love” ther Song of the Mllennum. In 2004,

Rolling Stone Magazine ranked hm #11 on ther lst of the 100 Greatest

Artsts of All Tme. Also, the BBC has recognzed hm as one of the great-

est lyrcsts of all tme. The Jamacan government annually bestows a Bob

Marley Award for Culture, and the Carbbean Musc Expo presents a Bob

Marley Lfetme Achevement award each year. Possbly hs hghest honor

s that snce hs death Bob has sold n excess of 21.3 mllon albums. For

greater clarty on ths fgure, one must understand that such sales were not

even counted untl 1991, when SoundScan became a relable entty.

Another dstnct and seldom bestowed honor was awarded to Bob after

hs death. In 2002, the Gbson gutar company began ssung a lmted

chapter 6

the legaCy and the legend

BOB MARLEY

edton Bob Marley Les Paul specal gutar. The Les Paul seres gutar was

Bob’s favorte electrc gutar for use on stage and n the studo. As a me-

mento of the label’s apprecaton of Bob’s long assocaton wth the Gb-

son brand, the legendary gutar maker joned forces wth the legendary

reggae muscan. The Marley Gbson Specal was bult to the exact spec-

fcatons of Bob’s Les Paul on dsplay at the Bob Marley Museum. Bob had

modfed hs Les Paul n a few mportant ways, and Gbson duplcated

these characterstcs n the sgnature seres gutar. The ntal run of the

Bob Marley Les Paul Specal was lmted to 200 gutars.

poSthUmoUS releaSeS

Bob’s lfe after death has had almost as much actvty and nterest as-

socated wth t as dd hs mortal lfe. When Bob ded, he left behnd a

prodgous lbrary of recordngs; however, there was also a large number

of unreleased songs that have contnued to surface. Some of the more

mportant posthumous releases ncluded Legend, Confrontation, Chances

Are, Africa Unite: The Single Collection, Talkin’ Blues, Songs of Freedom,

Natural Mystic, the Legend Lives On: Bob Marley and the Wailers, and the

Deluxe Edton re-releases.

ChanCes are and ConFrontation

In 1981, Danny Smms released the nne-song album Chances Are.

Ths record contaned prevously unreleased materal and new versons

of prevously released materal. In 1983, Tuff Gong Internatonal and Is-

land Records released Confrontation. Ths album was conceved of by Bob

toward the end of hs lfe. He recorded the tracks durng the Uprising ses-

sons and had hs hand n all parts of makng ths release, except choosng

the specfc songs ncluded and the order they appeared n. Rta stepped

n to make these decsons.

The album was a testament to Bob’s career. The album cover depcts the

reggae superstar rdng a whte horse slayng a dragon wth a lance n the

tradtonal mold of St. George. The back of the jacket ncluded a pantng

of the frst battle between the Ethopans and the Italans. Called the Bat-

tle of Adowa, ths 1896 battle foreshadowed the fghtng that eventually

drove Hale Selasse nto exle. The album contaned the songs “Chant

Down Babylon,” “Buffalo Solder,” “Jump Nyabngh,” “Mx Up, Mx Up,”

“Gve Thanks and Prases,” Blackman Redempton,” “Trench Town,” “Stff

Necked Fools,” “I Know,” and “Rastaman Lve Up.” The songs represent

an excellent cross secton of Bob’s wrtng at the apex of hs abltes.

THE LEGACY AND THE LEGEND

legenD

The next major ttle released under Bob’s name was ttled Legend. Re-

leased n 1984, the album was subttled The Best of Bob Marley. However, due

to the sheer quantty of Bob’s song output, 14 songs could not complete the

proposed purpose. However, the album dd an admrable job of presentng

a pcture of Bob’s output over the course of hs career. In typcal Walers

fashon, the remanng members of the group prepared a tour n support of

the album. Downe and Marvn shared the sngng dutes and Zggy joned

the tour to lead the group for the Los Angeles show. Legend spent over two

years on the Amercan Top 200 Albums charts and t was on the UK charts

for 129 weeks. Incredbly, the album spent just over 11 years on Bllboard’s

Top Pop Catalogue Album chart. Ths album went on to become the best-

sellng reggae release of all tme and has been certfed platnum 10 tmes.

As of 2006, Legend had sold n excess of 12 mllon copes and contnues

to sell at a brsk pace.

songs oF FreeDom

Another mportant release was the 1992 four-CD boxed set Bob Marley:

Songs of Freedom. An offcally lcensed product of Tuff Gong and Island

Records, the orgnal pressng of ths set was lmted to one mllon copes.

In 1999 there was a second pressng n a slghtly dfferent format, whch

dd not change the fact that ths was the defntve collecton of Bob’s

songs, spannng hs entre career. The release began wth several of Bob’s

earlest sngles and came forward n tme to the acoustc verson of “Re-

dempton Song.”

the singles ColleCtion

Africa Unite: The Singles Collection was released n November 2005. Unlke

many of the other posthumous releases, ths album had a defned pur-

pose and delberate desgn. Released for Bob’s 60th brthday celebraton,

the collecton revels n much of Bob’s most outstandng materal. The

album was unque n that t contaned materal that spanned Bob’s career

n addton to ncludng two hp-hop remxes and a prevously unreleased

track. The fnal three tracks were the most sgnfcant on the release, as

they were not avalable elsewhere.

Wll..am, a member of the Amercan hp-hop group the Black Eyed

Peas, was responsble for the remxng of “Afrca Unte.” Completed n De-

cember 2004, the song took on a new lfe n the hands of a contemporary

BOB MARLEY

producer/songwrter. The Black Eyed Peas added a stronger beat presence,

addtonal nstrumental textures, echoes on some vocals, and new words

sung by Wll hmself. Overall, the remx clocked n at twce the orgnal

song’s length and receved a hp-hop generaton upgrade that brought n

nto the new mllennum.

The other remx was really a contemporary mashup. The dea of a mashup

song s takng two exstng songs and combnng them n a manner that

creates a thrd song that s a hybrd of the frst two. Here the Englsh

DJ Ashley Beedle mashed together Bob’s fre-and-brmstone classc “Get

Up, Stand Up” and Bob’s son Daman’s hot 2005 sngle “Welcome to

Jamrock.” The combned verson of the song began wth the DJ reversng

a record and then the beat from “Jamrock” dropped. However, nstead

of stayng wth Daman’s words, the DJ supermposed Bob’s words. An

especally nterestng twst was the nserton of the word “Jamrock” at

the end of each phrase of Bob’s lyrcs. An addtonal treat was the pres-

ence of Peter Tosh. Tosh sang the second verse n the orgnal song and

that performance was repeated here (although only n recordng: Tosh has

been dead snce 1987). Wth ths song, Bob’s message was agan updated

for the hp-hop generaton, but ths tme passed through the lens of hs

own son’s song.

The only truly prevously unreleased song on the album was ttled “Slo-

gans.” The song was orgnally recorded n 1979 whle Bob was n Mam.

The orgnal tape of the song was found n Cedella’s house, and conssted

of lttle more than vocals and a drum machne beat. Bob’s sons Zggy and

Stephen took the raw tape materal and bult the rest of the song. They

added nstrumental lnes that complete the texture and the fnal product

sounds much lke other materal completed by ther father. The two Mar-

ley sons enlsted the assstance of the rock gutar legend Erc Clapton to

supply the lead gutar lnes. The message of the song was stll as mpor-

tant n 2005 as t was n 1979. Bob sang of hs contempt for the constant

propagandzng of the Catholc Church and the Jamacan government.

The slogans that he referred to were those empty promses made from the

pulpt of the church and the grandstand of the poltcal rally.

the delUxe editionS

Another seres of releases that have come out after Bob’s death and

are exemplary n qualty and detal are the Deluxe Edtons. Island and

Tuff Gong records began re-releasng the classc Walers’ materal n 2001

and, thus far, have ssued Catch a Fire, Exodus, Legend, Rastaman Vibra-

tion, and Burnin’. These re-releases are unque n that they all contan the

THE LEGACY AND THE LEGEND

orgnal album materal n remastered clarty by producer Dll Levenson.

The second CD of each set dffers from one release to the next. For Catch

a Fire, released n 2001, the second CD contaned the prevously unre-

leased Jamacan versons of the songs that appeared on the orgnal album.

Addtonal songs on the frst CD ncluded versons of “Hgh Tde or Low

Tde” and “All Day, All Nght.”

The Exodus Deluxe Edton was also released n 2001. Agan, the frst

dsc contaned the remastered versons of the orgnal songs. However, n

ths case, Levenson added fve alternate songs and versons of “Roots,”

“Watng n Van,” “Jammng,” “Jammng (long verson),” and “Exodus.”

The second dsc contaned a combnaton of studo and lve cuts. The

studo offerngs were recorded and produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry. Stu-

do songs on dsc two ncluded two versons of “Punky Reggae Party,”

two cover versons of the Curts Mayfeld song “Keep On Movng,” and

“Exodus.” The lve songs were recorded at the Ranbow Theater show of

the Exodus tour on June 4, 1977. Included were “The Heathen,” “Crazy

Baldhead,” “War/No More Trouble,” “Jammng,” and “Exodus.”

The next Deluxe Edton came out n 2002 wth the re-release of Ras-

taman Vibration. Agan the frst dsc of the two-CD set contaned the

remastered versons of the songs on the orgnal album. To ths Levenson

added eght addtonal songs recorded n Kngston or London at the same

tme as the orgnal materal was recorded. The second dsc contaned lve

performances from the Walers May 26, 1976, show at the Roxy Theatre.

Recorded durng the Rastaman Vibration tour, the lve materal was an

excellent testament to the qualty and potency that Bob had acheved

wth ths band. Addtonal tracks on the second dsc of ths set were two

versons of the song “Smle Jamaca,” one labeled part one and the other

labeled part two.

The Deluxe Edton of Legend was also released n 2002. The frst dsc of

dgtally remastered tracks was accompaned by a second dsc contanng

alternate versons of the orgnal 16 songs. These versons were collected

from remxng sessons datng from 1980 to 1984. The producers that re-

mxed the materal on the second dsc nclude Paul “Graucho” Smykle,

Errol Brown, Alex Sadkn, and Erc “E.T.” Thorngren. In keepng wth

the orgnal release of ths album, the Legend Deluxe Edton has been a

consumer favorte.

The most recent Deluxe Edton was released n 2004. The Burnin’

nstallment n ths seres contaned the remastered tracks on the frst dsc

wth the addton of fve songs produced at the tme of the orgnal ses-

sons, but omtted at the tme. Because Burnin’ was such an early album,

two of the addtonal songs were wrtten by other members of the orgnal

BOB MARLEY

Walers tro. “No Sympathy” was wrtten by Peter Tosh and Bunny Waler

wrote “Rencarnated Souls.” The second dsc ncluded a 12-song lve set.

The lve tracks were recorded va the Island moble studo at the Leeds

show on November 23, 1973. All of the versons on ths dsc were prev-

ously unreleased and represent the Walers durng ther transtonal phase

after Peter and Bunny left the group.

Although Bob has been dead for over 25 years, posthumous releases

from the artst contnue. The reggae superstar’s catalog s now several tmes

the sze t was at hs passng and shows few sgns of slowng down. Im-

ports, bootlegs, lve shows, and varous types of complatons surface pro-

gressvely. In 2006 alone there were more than 12 full-length releases n

Marley’s name. The market s completely flooded wth Bob’s materal and

the commodfcaton of the reggae legend s completely staggerng.

BoB’S eState

The topc of money turns to the handlng of Bob’s busness affars after

hs death. As mentoned above, Bob ded ntestate (wthout a wll). Ths

left control of the largest thrd world musc legacy and a multmllon-dollar

estate n the hands of hs wfe Rta. There followed years of nasty legal

battles for the proper dstrbuton of royaltes, property, and ownershp. In

the wake of Bob’s death, Rta moved the Tuff Gong Recordng studos and

producton offces to 220 Marcus Garvey Drve, Kngston 11. The home

offces of the Tuff Gong Internatonal are stll at ths locaton.

Rta’s next step was the converson of the house at 56 Hope Road nto

a museum and lbrary where nternatonal guests are welcome to take

guded tours of the property and house. Bob’s former dwellng now hosts

thousands of toursts each year. The structure of the house remans un-

changed snce Bob’s passng, but several rooms have been altered to sut

ther specfc purposes. The upstars bedrooms have been converted nto

gallery space that contans a world map wth all of Bob’s concert tour per-

formance locatons marked wth colored thumb tacks. The second-story

room that was once Zggy’s bedroom has been converted nto a makeshft

busness offce and lbrary. Here, books and newspaper artcles about Bob

and the Walers are preserved and made avalable to nvestgators.

Bob’s upstars master bedroom remans n the same condton as t was

when he last slept there. Although Bob was a very publc person, ths space

gves tour partcpants a glmpse nto the more prvate sde of the man. The

man floor of the house contans part of the orgnal Tuff Gong recordng

studos. The studos reman n workng order and are stll n occasonal

use. Of partcular nterest s the ktchen. Preserved snce the md-1970s,

THE LEGACY AND THE LEGEND

the ktchen at the back of the house stll exhbts the holes n the walls

created by the bullets sprayed nto the room durng the 1976 assassnaton

attempt.

The grounds around the house at 56 Hope Road are now qute crowded.

Durng Bob’s lfe, these grounds were used for parkng spaces and as a soc-

cer feld. Now the grounds are covered wth a varety of tourst attractons.

At the edge of the yard s Rta’s Queen of Sheba Restaurant, where trad-

tonal Ital food and frut drnks are served. Behnd the house, where there

used to be rehearsal space, there s now a newer buldng used to house the

Bob Marley Theatre. Along the sde of the property s another relatvely

new buldng that houses the Thngs from Afrca Boutque.

Beyond the management of the property at 56 Hope Road, Rta suf-

fered from lack of experence when handlng Bob’s estate. Trouble arose

wth vrtually every facet of the management of Bob’s vast empre.

Money was msapproprated, relatonshps wth members of the Walers

band were tarnshed, and a great deal of tme and money was spent tryng

to fgure everythng out. One serous msstep was taken n 1986, when

the remanng members of the Walers band were essentally forced nto

sgnng away ther rghts to future royaltes for a flat fee. The amounts

of money ended up beng pennes on the dollars of the future, but were

mmedate payoffs.

In 1987, Rta’s handlng of the Marley estate agan took a turn for the

worse. Rta, her accountant Martn Zolt, and her lawyer Davd Sten-

berg were collectvely accused of fraud. Rumors had been swrlng around

Jamaca that Rta was hdng money n the Caymans and thus separat-

ng Bob’s estate nto taxable and untaxed ncome. At ths pont, Rta

was taken out of the management role and replaced by a court-apponted

bank admnstrator. Ths led to many problems n the Marley famly, as

ther collectve assets were frozen and even Cedella’s house n Mam was

temporarly sezed.

the leGal Battle

The detals of much of the early proceedngs from Rta, Zolt, and

Stenberg’s tral are murky. However, t was found that the tro was gulty

of fraud, breach of fducary duty, and volatons of the Racketeer Influ-

enced and Corrupt Organzatons Act (RICO). Because Bob ded ntes-

tate, Jamacan law ruled that Rta was responsble for 10 percent of hs

estate outrght, plus 45 percent held as a lfe nterest. Bob’s 11 chldren

were each enttled to equal shares of the remanng 45 percent outrght,

plus a remander nterest n Rta’s 45 percent lfe estate.

BOB MARLEY

Also dscovered durng these ntal proceedngs was the fact that from

1981 to 1986, those controllng Bob’s estate mplemented several schemes

that allegedly dverted foregn musc assets and royalty ncome away from

Bob’s estate and nto accounts held outsde the estate. Rta, Zolt, and

Stenberg protested, sayng that these dverted funds were used to establsh

new corporatons for the purposes of mnmzng tax lablty and leavng

more money for Bob’s benefcares. Lawyers for the State named at least

four schemes and produced sgned documents provng the colluson of the

three mplcated n the sut. In short, Rta and her representatves were

not reportng the majorty of the royaltes that Bob’s musc was earnng.

For a tme, lawsuts, decet, and chaos overshadowed Bob’s muscal leg-

acy. The end result of these legal machnatons was that the Bob Marley

estate was put up for sale as a unt by the Jamacan government. Chrs

Blackwell, Bob’s longtme frend and record company boss, purchased

the ownershp of the estate for the mnuscule sum of 8.6 mllon dollars.

Blackwell’s company, Island Logc Inc., was successful n the aucton for

Bob’s estate aganst the opposton of members of Bob’s own famly. For

8.6 mllon dollars, Blackwell ganed the rghts to all of Bob’s songs, hs re-

cordngs, and hs future royaltes. Subsequently, Blackwell sold the rghts

to Bob’s catalogue to the German record company Polygram n 1989. Poly-

gram was absorbed by Seagrams n 1998, and the new musc collectve was

named the Unversal Musc Group. Thus, Bob’s musc changed hands yet

agan.

Even through all of the legal dffcultes and troubles wth defnng

ownershp, Bob’s legacy perssted. Although the ntal lcensng was lost,

Bob’s famly has remaned well off fnancally, as they control all other

aspects of hs output. Also, unreleased materal was not covered by the

orgnal court arrangement and through the surfacng of many addtonal

versons and studo outtakes; much of Bob’s musc s agan controlled by

hs famly. Regardless of where the ownershp of Bob’s musc les, n hs

own words, hs truest legacy was n hs chldren.

The two remanng matrarchs of the Marley famly are the prncpal

keepers of the famly legacy. Bob’s mother Cedella and wfe Rta contnue

to carry on Bob’s work even more than 25 years after hs death. Although

Cedella was not always actve n Bob’s career durng hs lfe, she has be-

come qute actve after hs death. As the oldest member of the Marley

famly, she s the protector of hs legacy.

cedella marley Booker

Cedella Marley Booker (born July 23, 1926) stll lves n the house that

Bob bought her n Mam, Florda. She acts as the offcal matrarch of the

famly and s stll nvolved n much of the busness of the famly. She has

taken equal care of the chldren that Bob bore to Rta and hs chldren

born outsde the marrage. As part of her nurturng of her son’s legacy,

hs mother has released two albums of her own musc. In 1991, she ssued

Awake Zion on the RIOR label wth the assstance of Bob’s old bass player,

Aston “Famly Man” Barrett. In the followng year, she ssued her second

album, called Smilin’ Island Song.

Cedella has also wrtten several books on her son’s lfe. She authored the

book Bob Marley: An Intimate Portrait by His Mother and another book, Bob

Marley My Son. In addton, mother “Cddy” has also toured wdely, speak-

ng on the mportance of her famous son and sngng her own songs. Her

tours have taken her across the Unted States, through much of Western

Europe, nto Afrca, around Mexco, and throughout the Carbbean. More

chapter 7

the Marley FaMily

BOB MARLEY

recently, she has taken to producng hand-crafted dolls, whch are sold

though several Web stes.

rita marley

Rta Marley, born Alpharta Anderson n Cuba n on July 25, 1946, was

the other prncpal leader of the Marley famly. After Bob’s death, Rta’s

legal problems mounted and she lost control of the Marley famly fortune.

However, n the aftermath of ths ntal loss, Rta was able to support

herself and the famly and to buld a new fortune. One aspect of Rta’s

furtherng of Bob’s legacy was the release of her own musc. In 1981 she

released the album Who Feels It Knows It, n 1988 she released Harambe,

and n 1988 she ssued We Must Carry On. Rta began her muscal career

as the leader of her own band, and she returned to front woman form after

her years sngng backup to Bob.

In the 1990s, Rta agan ssued a seres of albums. These records were

on the Shanache mprnt. Among these were Beauty of God, Good Girls

Cult, and One Draw. These were followed by Sings Bob Marley . . . and

Friends, Play Play, Sunshine After Rain, and Gifted Fourteen Carnation, all

ssued n the new mllennum. Rta also released a book on her lfe wth

Bob that has the unque perspectve of a woman nteractng n a very

male-domnated scene. The book, called No Woman, No Cry: My Life with

Bob Marley, was co-authored wth Hette Jones.

Recently, Rta has remaned actve n the musc busness largely

through the actvtes of her many chldren. She s engaged n the fur-

therng and protecton of her husband’s legacy and attends annual

worldwde brthday celebratons concerts n hs honor. Rta has also es-

tablshed the Rta Marley Foundaton to provde much needed supples

and nfrastructural mprovements to underdeveloped parts of Afrca. The

man goal of the group s to provde safe drnkng water to the thousands

of Afrcan people strugglng for subsstence.

In January 2005, Rta announced her ntenton to have Bob’s body

removed from the mausoleum n Nne Mle and rebured n hs sprtual

home n Ethopa. Ths news came as part of the month-long celebraton

of Bob’s 60th brthday. The move was backed by Ethopan church and

government offcals. At the tme, Rta asserted that t was part of Bob’s

msson to return to Afrca and the movement of hs casket would fulfll

the fallen reggae superstar’s ntentons. Rta proposed to have Bob’s body

rebured n Shashaman, about 155 mles south of Adds Ababa. Bob had

vsted ths Rastafaran enclave on hs frst trp to Afrca.

THE MARLEY FAMILY

Rta’s announcement was met wth strong dsagreement from many

Jamacans. Representatves of the Bob Marley Foundaton mmedately

refuted Rta’s clams, sayng there were no plans to move Bob. In fact, the

news of a possble rebural created such a wdespread outcry n opposton

that Rta was forced to retract her earler statement. Frst Rta sad that no

decson was yet made, and she eventually moved to the poston that Bob’s

remans would stay n Nne Mle. The uprsng about the possble move dd

create a renewed nterest n all thngs Marley leadng up to hs 60th brth-

day celebraton, but the concern was that ths nterest was more negatve

than postve. Regardless of possble mssteps, Rta remans the focal pont

of the Marley famly. She remans qute hands on wth the management

of the Marley legacy and has taken over the role of mother of all of Bob’s

chldren wthout concern for Bob’s extramartal affars.

Durng hs lfe, Bob contnuously professed hs love for chldren. He

ncluded n ths not just hs own chldren but the chldren of the world.

Wth ths n mnd, one could see Bob’s most lastng legacy as hs 11 chl-

dren. Bob’s own thoughts on ths were captured n hs statement that

he wanted to have as many chldren as there were shells on the beach.

Regardless of moral codes, Bob fathered three chldren wth Rta and ac-

cepted two other chldren of hers as hs own. Bob adopted Rta’s daughter

Sharon, whose brth father was an unnamed man wth whom Rta con-

ceved her daughter pror to her meetng Bob. Rta’s daughter Stephane

was also unlkely to have been fathered by Bob. It has been generally ac-

cepted that Stephane’s father was a Rasta called Ital. Regardless of who

ther fathers were, Bob cared for these chldren as hs own.

Durng ther marrage, Bob had several often hghly publczed affars.

Many of these affars yelded chldren who were eventually accepted, by

Rta, nto the extended Marley famly unt. Other chldren that Bob fath-

ered were Daman, Rohan, Robbe, Karen, Julan, Ky-Man, and Makeda

Jahnesta. Each chld had a unque poston n Bob’s lfe and several of hs

chldren, both from hs marrage to Rta and outsde t, contnue Bob’s

muscal legacy.

Sharon marley

Although Bob was not the genetc father of Sharon (known as Sharon

Marley Prendergrass), he treated her as a daughter throughout hs lfe. He

adopted her when he and Rta got marred and doted on her constantly.

Often descrbed as Bob’s “favorte,” Sharon has spent her lfe forwardng

many aspects of Bob’s vson. From 18 months of age onward, Bob was

Sharon’s father, and as any good father would do, he attempted to gude

BOB MARLEY

her n her lfe’s pursuts. As she was growng up, the Marley household

was always flled wth musc. As Bob’s fame grew, Sharon was ncreas-

ngly aware of lfe n the musc world. However, her father cautoned her

aganst gong nto musc as a professon as he knew frst hand how df-

fcult a busness t s.

Even wth her father’s advce rngng n her ears, as an adult Sharon

has had several jobs related to the musc ndustry. She has helped to pre-

serve Bob’s muscal legacy as a member of the Marley chldren’s band,

the Melody Makers. She s currently the drector of the Bob Marley Mu-

seum n Kngston, Jamaca, and she has pursued an actng career as part of

the cast of the Denzel Washngton/Robert Townshend move The Mighty

Quinn. Other aspects of Sharon’s professonal lfe nclude her work wth

the Carbbean busness Ghetto Youths Internatonal and her work n at-

temptng to open a day care tranng center n Jamaca. The center would

be the frst of ts knd on the sland and reflects Bob’s nterest n carng

for chldren.

cedella

The frst chld born of Bob and Rta’s marrage was named Cedella,

after Bob’s mother. Cedella was born n August 1967 n Kngston and her

brth corresponded wth the release of the Walers sngle. “Nce Tme.”

As a result, she was gven the ttle of the song as a nckname. She grew up

n a farly tradtonal manner, attendng attended publc schools. Just as

wth Sharon, Bob wanted Cedella to become a doctor or a lawyer, but she

followed her father’s footsteps nto musc.

Muscally, Cedella took a lead role n formng the Marley chldren’s

group, the Melody Makers. She s known for her beautful sngng voce

and s also a talented dancer. In addton to the Melody Makers, Cedella

formed a splnter group called the Marley Grls. Her professonal nvolve-

ment wth Bob’s legacy centers on her role as the CEO of Tuff Gong Inter-

natonal. In addton to her recordng, sngng, and management of Bob’s

record label, Cedella fnds tme to be actve n rasng her own group of

Marley chldren. Known for her tenacty, Cedella aggressvely works to

safeguard and develop her father’s legacy.

david (ZiGGy)

Sharon and Cedella’s next younger sblng s a brother, Davd, born on

October 17, 1968. Although Davd was hs gven name, he was almost

mmedately ncknamed Zggy and has been known by ths name ever

THE MARLEY FAMILY

snce. Agan warned aganst followng n hs father’s muscal footsteps,

Zggy was btten by the muscal bug as a youth. He grew up lstenng to hs

father’s musc along wth the materal of legendary Amercan artsts such

as Steve Wonder.

Musc ndustry nsders consder Zggy the natural her to hs father’s

muscal throne. He shares many of hs father’s facal features and hs voce

s smlar to Bob’s. Also, due to hs age, he was able to wtness and par-

tcpate n parts of Bob’s muscal odyssey. Zggy was n Zmbabwe wth hs

father for the concert celebratng the freedom of that country. Further, he

became the de facto head of the famly on hs father’s passng. As such, he

receved Bob’s Order of Mert on behalf of hs father.

As a muscan, Zggy was the muscal head of the Melody Makers. Ths

pont was made clear when the band began to be known as Zggy Marley

and the Melody Makers. Snce hs father’s death, Zggy has been on an

extended muscal odyssey of hs own. He worked wth the Melody Makers

through the release of seven studo albums (and several greatest hts col-

lectons) and has pursued a solo career, unlke many of the other Marley

chldren.

The premer Marley chldren’s muscal group s the Melody Makers.

The group conssts of Sharon, Cedella, Zggy, and Stephen. The group

got ts formal begnnng when the members recorded a song that Bob

had wrtten for and about them n 1979, called “Chldren Playng n the

Streets.” However, the group had unoffcally been formed n 1981 to sng

at Bob’s funeral. Snce ts ncepton, the Melody Makers have consstently

put out salable reggae musc that preserves ther father’s legacy. Although

the muscal product of the group swerves from pop offerngs to more ser-

ous roots-soundng works, collectvely the group’s output has been a testa-

ment to ts members’ muscal hertage.

Over the course of several decades, the Melody Makers have released

several albums. Addtonally, they have toured nternatonally and been

part of the Reggae Sunsplash concert seres that ther father helped start.

Ther releases began n the md-1980s wth the album Play the Game

Right. Ther second release was 1986’s Hey World! Ths was followed by

One Bright Day n 1988 and Conscious Party n 1989. The style of reggae

musc that the Melody Makers were puttng out at ths tme was nspred

by ther father’s materal, but dd not sound much lke t. However, the

Melody Makers’ products were commercally vable and of hgh enough

qualty that they were n demand as sngers and songwrters.

Albums from the group contnued to come out n the 1990s. Jahmekya

was released n 1991 and was followed by Fallen Is Babylon n 1997. The

1999 album, Spirit of Music, was heralded as a return to conscous reggae

BOB MARLEY

roots for the group. Throughout these many releases, the Melody Makers

have contnued to forward ther father’s, and by extenson reggae musc’s,

cause of brngng conscous musc to the masses. Interestngly, after Bob’s

death, the prevalent type of Jamacan popular musc turned way from

roots reggae and toward the dancehall style. Dancehall has much more n

common wth Amercan hp-hop than t does wth the socal or poltcal

themes n conscous reggae. Wth ther musc, the Melody Makers contn-

ued to blaze the tral started by ther father nstead of fallng n wth the

new style of the tme.

Wthn ths context, Zggy matured as a snger and songwrter. Takng a

page from hs father’s book of ambton, Zggy set about the task of wrtng

musc that could reach a global audence. As a testament to hs success, he

has reached that audence and acheved an Amercan Top 40 sngle. To

say that Zggy got an early start s to state the obvous. He was the natural

front person for the Melody Makers wth hs father’s good looks and at-

tractve voce, but he ended up frontng an nternatonally vable group

at the tender age of 17. One mght thnk that followng n Bob’s footsteps

made Zggy’s movement nto the musc world easy. On the contrary, hs

father had establshed astonshngly large shoes to fll and Zggy’s youthful

songwrtng sklls were held up n comparson to Bob’s mature work.

Early on, n order to carve out hs own nche, Zggy allowed hs musc

to move more nto popular manstream crcles. Ths resulted n harsh

crtcsm from the roots reggae core; however, t was speculated that the

young Marley was smply fndng hs own voce and separatng hmself

from the enormous pressure of hs father’s songwrtng legacy. Another

problem n Zggy’s lfe at the tme was the marked desre of EMI (the

Melody Makers’ record label) to push Zggy as a solo artst, nstead of the

leader of a group of hs sblngs. Ths conflct caused the group to swtch

to the Vrgn Records label.

The move to Vrgn resulted n ther most popular materal to date.

The songs on Conscious Party were a great success for the group. Produced

wth the assstance of Talkng Heads band members Chrs Frantz and Tna

Weymouth, ths release was both commercally and crtcally acclamed.

The album clmbed to number 39 on the Amercan popular musc charts

and affrmed that the Melody Makers were not just rdng on ther famous

father’s coattals.

The 1989 follow-up to Conscious Party, ttled One Bright Day, was an-

other bg success for Zggy and the Melody Makers. The album clmbed

nto the Amercan Top 20 and showed that the prevous album had not

been a fluke. Both of these late 1980s offerngs won the group Grammy

Awards for Best Reggae Album of the Year. The early 1990s brought

THE MARLEY FAMILY

contnued success wth the release of the Jahmekya album. The release

sold well and made t nto the Top 20; however, t dd not have rado-

frendly sngles, unlke the prevous two albums. The follow-up album, Joy

and Blues of 1993, contaned some dancehall style materal that featured

Stephen. The album dd not sell well and marked the group’s departure

from Vrgn Records and ther move to Elektra Records.

For Elektra, the group released 1995’s Free Like We Want 2 B. Wth ths,

t seemed that Zggy and the Melody Makers had reganed some of ther

prevous form. In 1997, Fallen Is Babylon won the group another Grammy

Award and showed that Zggy’s songwrtng sklls were stll n top form.

Through the course of these later releases, Zggy emerged from the group

as a solost. The Melody Makers are stll a group n name, but Zggy had

begun to work on ndvdual recordng projects.

In addton to hs solo work, Zggy was becomng a leadng poltcal

voce. He was named a Goodwll Youth Ambassador for the Unted Na-

tons and spoke publcly on topcs of njustce, poverty, and the thrd world.

Addtonally, he launched hs own record label, called Ghetto Youths

Unted (Ghetto Youth Crew), whch he s usng to foster the talent of the

next generaton of reggae artsts. Hs charty work s well known and he

has been nvolved n Unted Resources Gvng Enlghtenment (URGE),

whch performs communty servce n Jamaca.

In the new mllennum, Zggy contnued to emerge as a solo artst and

leader of the next generaton of Jamacan musc. On Aprl 15, 2003, he

released hs frst offcal solo album, ttled Dragonfly. The album cover de-

pcts Zggy wth dreadlocks to hs wast and a dragonfly on a yellow back-

ground. He was credted as the wrter and snger for all 11 songs ncluded

on the release, whch was met wth a degree of success. Zggy followed ths

up wth a second solo release n 2006, called Love Is My Religion.

In addton to musc, Zggy has pursued a vared career n the entertan-

ment ndustry. In 2004, he voced a Rasta jellyfsh n the move Shark Tale

and together wth Sean Paul created a new verson of hs father’s song

“Three Lttle Brds” for the move’s soundtrack. Zggy also sang the theme

song for the PBS show Arthur and contnues to come nto hs own as a

solost. As he ages, hs voce becomes more and more lke hs father’s as he

grows nto a leadershp role n the nternatonal reggae communty.

Lke Bob, Zggy has fathered a sgnfcant group of chldren. Wth long-

tme companon Lorrane Bogle, Zggy has three chldren, Danel (a son),

Justce (a daughter) and Zour (a daughter). Zggy s now marred to Orly

Aga, wth whom he has had several other chldren. Judah Vctora s

ther daughter, born on Aprl 7, 2005, and ther son Gdeon Robert Nesta

Marley was born on January 5, 2007. Whle contnung to pursue hs own

BOB MARLEY

career, chartable and phlanthropc endeavors, and famly nterests, Zggy

remembers the words of hs father: “every man has to stand up for hs

rghts.”

Stephen

The next Marley chld, and Bob’s second son, was Stephen, born

Aprl 20, 1972. Stephen was born n Wlmngton, Delaware, whle Rta

was lvng there wth Cedella. The youngest member of the Melody Mak-

ers, Stephen has become an accomplshed snger, DJ, wrter, and pro-

ducer. Hs earlest recordngs were made at age sx when he helped lay

down the vocal tracks for “Chldren Playng n the Streets.” The song

was recorded as a charty endeavor and the proceeds from the sngle were

donated to the Unted Natons n support of the Internatonal Year of

the Chld. Addtonally, Stephen danced and partcpated n Bob’s lve

shows, spendng tme on stage. In addton to an early lfe spent on stage

wth hs father, at age seven Stephen began learnng the acoustc gutar.

Because of ths early exposure to musc, Stephen has been mmersed

n the art form and has been a professonal muscan for the majorty of

hs years. In addton to hs performng, he has been an ntegral part of

the record label Ghetto Youths Unted. As a producer, Stephen has made

several well-known remxes of hs father’s work and coupled these wth

famous lvng sngers such as Lauryn Hll (one of the three members of the

Fugees). Hs work wth Hll led to the Melody Makers performance wth

the Fugees at the 1997 Grammy Awards Show n New York Cty.

Stephen’s producton work began n 1996 when he flled the producer

role for tracks on albums by hs brothers Daman and Julan. Hs produc-

ton work has also allowed Stephen to cross styles of musc extensvely.

He has mxed reggae, hp-hop, and rhythm and blues. Work wth hp-hop

artsts such as Krayze Bones (from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony), Eve (of the

hp-hop set the Ruff Ryders), and Erykah Badu has ncreased hs creden-

tals and connected hs father’s legacy to current styles of musc.

As a producer, he worked on hs brother Daman’s album Halfway Tree,

released n 2001. The album was a huge success and scored a Grammy for

the Best Reggae Album of the Year. Hs verson of Steve Wonder’s Bob

Marley trbute song “Master Blaster” was of such qualty that t was placed

on the 2005 Wonder trbute album, Conception. As a songwrter, Stephen

has not been as productve as some of hs sblngs.

He began work on an album n 2002, but ths was delayed by hs work

wth the Ghetto Youths Internatonal producton house. The album was

meant to come out n 2006 under the ttle Got Music? Although the tracks

THE MARLEY FAMILY

were complete, Stephen opted not to release the album. Some speculaton

crculated that the album was put on hold to avod conflctng wth other

Marley famly records. Stephen s makng 2007’s Mind Control hs frst

offcal album-length release. He s currently streamng the album’s ttle

track on hs Myspace page and hopes are hgh for a successful, long-

antcpated release.

Although n hs md-thrtes, Stephen already boasts a nearly three-

decade-long career n musc. As such, the release of hs album has cre-

ated sgnfcant nterest. The album blends reggae, rock, rhythm and blues,

nyabngh, flamenco, and hp-hop nto a unque and unnamed hybrd.

As s customary n contemporary Amercan hp-hop, the Mind Control

album features varous cameo appearances ncludng those of Ben Harper,

Mos Def, Daman Marley, Maya Azucena and Illestr8, Spragga Benz, and

Mr. Cheeks.

Through the course of hs career, Stephen has done wonders to en-

hance Bob’s muscal legacy n the area of ntroducng hs father’s musc to

a whole new audence. Stephen s a fve-tme Grammy wnner n hs own

rght and s stll at the begnnng of what promses to be a long and frutful

career. Stephen’s defant atttude and dstaste for underhanded poltcal

dealngs are present n hs lyrcs and he puts forward hs father’s message

throughout. To help preserve the legacy, Stephen was part of two Amer-

can tours n 2006. Most notable was the crtcally acclamed Bob Marley

Roots, Rock Reggae Festval, whch also ncluded hs brother Zggy. Ths

tour placed Stephen on stage wth one of hs father’s oldest frends and

one-thrd of the orgnal Walers sngng tro, Bunny Waler.

As s true of most of the Marley chldren, Stephen has chldren of hs

own. For a tme he was marred to Kerte DaCosta and together they had

a son, Jeremah, and a daughter, Sasha. Addtonally, he had four other

chldren from varous relatonshps. Hs other chldren are sons Joseph,

Stephan, and Yohan, and a daughter called Summer. Stephen’s current

relatonshp s wth fashon desgner and snger Krstna Marawsk, wth

whom he recently had a daughter called Zpporah.

Stephanie

Another Marley daughter was Stephane, born n 1974. There are sev-

eral conflctng reports concernng her lneage. Some say that Bob was

her father, and others report that her father was a local Rasta called Ital.

Rta reported, n her book No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley,

that Stephane’s father was probably Bob. However, at ths tme, Rta and

Bob were not gettng along and Rta had entered nto a relatonshp wth

BOB MARLEY

a local Rasta called Tacky. Ths local Rasta called Tacky was, n fact, the

Jamacan soccer star Owen Stewart. In the account n her book, Rta was

very careful never to say that she and Tacky had had a sexual relatonshp;

however, t was mpled.

Regardless of who her bologcal father was, Stephane was born on

August 17, 1974, and Bob was her father to all ntents and purposes. She

grew up n Kngston and was educated n Jamacan prmary and secondary

schools. She moved to England and completed her A-level studes n psy-

chology and socal studes n London. Next, Stephane studed psychology

at the Unversty of Western Ontaro, Canada. She earned her bachelor’s

degree wth honors and durng her studes she was actve wth local chl-

dren’s groups. She pad extra attenton to chldren wth specal needs.

After unversty, Stephane returned to Jamaca and became part of

the famly busness. She became the managng drector of the Bob Mar-

ley Foundaton, Bob Marley Museum, Tuff Gong Internatonal, Tuff Gong

Recordngs, URGE,. and the Rta Marley Foundaton. Wth ths work

Stephane also fostered her father’s legacy. Now lvng n Nassau n the

Bahamas, Stephane s drectng the constructon of the frst Marley Resort

and Spa. Although more attuned to the busness end of thngs, Stephane

promoted concerts through Tuff Gong Productons and she stages the an-

nual Reggae All-Star Concert n Nassau. In addton, Stephane has four

chldren, all boys.

The rest of the Marley chldren were fathered by Bob, but n relaton-

shps outsde hs marrage. Each chld had a dfferent mother; however,

snce Bob’s death, Rta has become the mother fgure to most of Bob’s

offsprng. Bob had extramartal affars wth seven women who produced

chldren. Some of hs relatonshps were hghly publczed, such as the

“Beauty and the Beast” unon wth Cndy Breakspeare. Other chld-

producng encounters were fleetng and poorly documented, such as those

wth Evette Morrs (Crchton) and Janet Hunt (Dunn). The chldren that

were produced by these unons have been equally responsble for fosterng

ther father’s legacy and many of them have made ther own deep mpact

on the musc world.

rohan

Bob met Janet Hunt (or possbly Dunn) n the early 1970s. Janet was

a dancer n a club and caught Bob’s eye. Lttle was documented about

ther encounter; however, Janet gave brth to Bob’s son Rohan as a result.

Rohan Anthony Marley was born n May 1972, and hs mother turned

the boy over to Bob and Rta to rase when he was four. From ths tme,

THE MARLEY FAMILY

Rohan offcally became a Marley. He went to the same school as Zggy

and Stephen. Unlke hs brothers, however, Rohan was more nto sports

than musc. The Marley famly had trouble keepng track of ths actve

youth and he was sent to lve wth Bob’s mother n Mam.

Cedella adopted Rohan and he flourshed under her care. He graduated

from Mam Palmetto Senor Hgh School n 1991 and he enrolled at the

Unversty of Mam where he played lnebacker for the Hurrcanes foot-

ball team. Rohan then had a short stnt wth the Ottowa Rough Rders

professonal football team n the Canadan Football League. After hs tme

playng football, Rohan decded to settle down and refocus hs energy.

More recently, Rohan marred Lauryn Hll and began workng n the

Marley famly busnesses. For hs part, Rohan preserves Bob’s memory

through hs work wth the Tuff Gong Clothng Company. Rohan styles

clothes that are meant to have unversal appeal, just lke hs father’s musc.

In addton to hs work wth the clothng lne, Rohan spends tme wth

hs own group of Bob’s grandchldren. He has four chldren wth Lauryn,

sons Zon Davd, Joshua, and John, and a daughter named Selah Louse.

roBert (roBBie)

Bob’s next chld was born of hs affar wth a woman named Pat Wl-

lams. Wllams was a woman from Trench Town and lttle s known of

her. In fact, there are conflctng reports on her frst name: some say Pat,

some say Luclle. However, the story of her short tme together wth Bob

was documented n hs song “Mdnght Ravers.” The reports of the eve-

nng and the song tself descrbed the scene. Bob had apparently been

standng naked n the moonlt nght at the house at 56 Hope Road. He

was approached by Wllams at that tme and she seduced hm. The next

day, Bob woke up and wrote the lyrcs to “Mdnght Ravers” on a Kngston

phone book. Robert Nesta Marley II, known as Robbe, was the product

of ths rendezvous.

Robbe, lke many of the other chldren produced by Bob’s affars, came

under the care of Rta. Wth Rta’s and the Marley famly’s support, Rob-

be attended the Unversty College of the West Indes, where he studed

computer graphcs. Snce then, Robbe has been nvolved n several ac-

tvtes. He runs a clothng store n Mam, Florda, called Vntage Marley.

He took up motorcycle rdng and has subsequently become an accom-

plshed stunt rder. Ths led hm to a bt role n the 2003 move, 2 Fast 2

Furious. Addtonally, he has a motorcycle rdng club called the Mam

Warrors. The Marley famly tree contnues to grow wth Robbe’s four

chldren: Kaya, Ekta, and twns Regal and Robert.

BOB MARLEY

karen

Bob’s tryst wth a woman named Janet Bowen led to another Marley

famly chld. Agan, detals on Janet are sketchy, but she s referred to

as “Janet n England” n several sources. Janet gave brth to a daugh-

ter named Karen n 1973. Janet and Karen both reman shrouded n

mystery, as nether has sought out the spotlght. Janet lved n Jamaca

wth her great-grandmother n Harbor Vew, St. Andrews. Ths s where

she grew up and went to school. Her nvolvement wth the Marley fam-

ly has been slght. She was a reportedly a regular vstor to the Marley

home n Kngston, but Karen dd not fall n wth the other chldren.

When Bob’s health faled, he asked Rta to look after Karen and she

sent Karen to school wth Stephane. Because Karen has pursued a lfe

outsde the glare and scrutny of the publc eye, lttle else s known about

her present lfe.

JUlian

Lucy Pounder was a resdent of Barbados and, whle lttle s known of

her tme wth Bob, t dd produce Julan Marley on June 4, 1975. Julan

was born and rased n London, but often spent tme wth Rta and the

other Marley chldren n Jamaca and Mam. Followng n ths muscal

famly’s footsteps, Julan studed bass, drums, and keyboard from an early

age. He also became an accomplshed songwrter as a youth. Hs frst sn-

gle, at age fve, was a verson of hs father’s song “Slave Drver,” recorded

at the Marley famly’s Tuff Gong Studos n Kngston. Ths was just the

frst step n a busy and frutful career.

In the 1990s, Julan asserted hs muscal strength at full potental. He

formed hs own band, called the Uprsng band, and released the 1996

album Lion in the Morning. Julan was credted wth wrtng or co-wrtng

all of the songs on the album, whch receved crtcal acclam. In hs fa-

ther’s mold, Julan toured n support of the release and played nternaton-

ally as a solost backed by the Uprsng band and as a member of Ghetto

Youths Internatonal. As a member of Ghetto Youths, he nteracted wth

hs brothers Stephen and Daman and learned a great deal. Wth Daman,

Julan opened for Zggy Marley and the Melody Makers on the 1995 tour

and was a featured artst on the 1999 Lollapalooza Festval Tour (whch

was qute a coup as ths was a rock-orented tour).

The new mllennum found Julan ready for the next challenge. Julan

worked wth hs Marley brothers to produce the platnum-sellng Chant

Down Babylon album, whch pared modern artsts wth Bob from beyond

THE MARLEY FAMILY

the grave. He was also a part of the “Master Blaster” Steve Wonder trb-

ute song wth hs brothers Stephen, Daman, and Ky-Man. Julan’s more

recent project was the 2003 album Time and Place. The sound of the album

was a mxture of roots reggae and lght jazz. Accordng to Julan hmself,

the album was another step n hs songwrtng progresson begun wth

Lion in the Morning. Wth the conscous and poltcally charged lyrcs of

hs father and brothers rngng n hs ears, Julan forwarded hs Rastafar-

an and often mltant messages. Also n keepng wth the Marley famly

mold, the songs on ths release are a vared blend of reggae, funk, hp-hop,

and rhythm and blues.

The Time and Place album was produced by Julan, Stephen, and Da-

man. Zggy and Rohan both appeared on the album, supplyng percus-

son lnes. Bob’s old Walers band compatrot, Bunny Waler, also suppled

some percusson materal. The Uprsng band also appeared on the album.

In the wake of the release, Julan toured to support the album and the

Uprsng band backed hm up. Julan s outstandng among the Marley

chldren for hs personalty, presence, and muscal talent. He apples hs

energy trelessly to the furtherng of hs father’s muscal legacy.

ky-mani

Ky-Man Marley was a product of the affar that Bob had wth Anta

Belnavs. Belnavs was a well-known Carbbean table tenns champon.

Ky-Man means “adventurous traveler” and so far that s exactly what he

has been. Belnavs’s lfe went largely undocumented, but much s known

about her famous son. Ky-Man Marley was born n Falmouth, Jamaca,

where he lved untl age nne. At that tme he moved to the nner cty

of Mam, where he spent tme engaged n sports. As a youth, he began

studyng musc, takng pano and gutar lessons, and he played trumpet n

hs hgh school band. Although he studed musc, hs frst love was sports

and he played hgh school football and soccer.

Growng up, Ky-Man spent summers wth hs father, Rta, and the

other Marley chldren. In fact, n 1992, Ky-Man moved to Jamaca to

be closer to the Marley famly. Hs frst excurson nto musc came whle

he was stll n Mam. He began rappng and DJ-ng and actually recorded

a sngle called “Unnecessary Badness.” On hs move back to Jamaca,

Ky-Man dedcated hmself to musc. He worked wth Stephen, Julan,

and Daman to produce hs own muscal product.

Early n hs muscal growth, Ky-Man released several sngles on the

Shang Records mprnt. He dd a verson of “Judge Not” wth dancehall

queen Patra, whch was followed by the song “Dear Dad.” Ths second

BOB MARLEY

sngle was an open letter to hs fallen father. Sentmental and thought

provokng, “Dear Dad” was an early testament to Ky-Man’s songwrtng

ablty. Pckng up momentum, Ky-Man teamed up wth a thrd of the

Amercan band the Fugees when he worked wth Praswell on a cover of

the Eddy Grant ht “Electrc Avenue.” Major nternatonal exposure came

when Ky-Man performed at the Mdem (short for Marché international de

l’édition musicale), the world’s largest musc ndustry trade far. Hs Mdem

performance was ared lve by the Carbbean News Agency and Ky-Man

was nstantly exposed to audence members n 36 countres.

Ky-Man’s nternatonal televson appearance created unprecedented

nterest n the young snger. A label bddng war ensued, and Ky-Man

sgned wth Gee Street/V2 Records. For Gee Street, he teamed wth P.M.

Dawn on the sngle “Gotta Be Movn On Up,” whch only ncreased Ky-

Man’s already rsng stock. He further ncreased the nterest n hs musc

wth the release of hs 1999 solo debut album, Ky-Mani Marley: Like Fa-

ther Like Son. Ths was followed the next year wth The Journey, whch

llustrated beautfully Ky-Man’s versatle style. Movng between Spansh

gutar, rock steady, and lovers rock, the songs on the album are as eclectc

as Ky-Man’s taste.

The next album released by Ky-Man was Many More Roads n 2001

Here the talented snger/songwrter presented materal dpped n the

roots reggae, dancehall, and rhythm and blues styles. Throughout ths

album, Ky-Man delvered a message of conscousness and stayed true to

hs Rastafaran fath.

More recent projects found Ky-Man tryng hs hand n show busness.

He played the lead role n the ht underground Jamacan move Shottas,

n whch he worked opposte Wyclef Jean (of Fugees fame) and dancehall

manstay Spragga Benz. He also starred n the move One Love, a roman-

tc comedy that pared hm wth Cherne Anderson. In 2004, Ky-Man

landed another move role, playng John the Baptst n the Frank E. Flow-

ers move Haven. Here the young Rasta played alongsde Bll Paxton and

Orlando Bloom. Ky-Man remans enthusastc about hs role n man-

tanng Bob’s muscal fame. He has already done much to preserve the

famly name and further work s antcpated.

damian

Cndy Breakspeare was the woman most often assocated wth Bob

apart from Rta. Breakspeare was from a whte, upper-class background

and was workng n Kngston n the md-1970s when she met Bob. As a

teenager, she worked at the Kngston Sheraton and met Bob as they

THE MARLEY FAMILY

were both tenants n Blackwell’s house at 56 Hope Road. At frst, Bob

and Breakspeare dd not nteract much. It was rumored that Bob made

many attempts at ganng Breakspeare’s affecton, but she rebuked hm.

Bob’s song “Watng n Van” was sad to be about these rejected ad-

vances. However, as Bob’s success ncreased, Cndy gradually warmed to

hs attenton.

Breakspeare’s rse to fame paralleled Bob’s. A classc beauty, through

the md-1970s Breakspeare went from Mss Jamacan Bkn to Mss Un-

verse Bkn to Mss World. She was also accused of beng a home wrecker

due to her assocaton wth Bob. However, hstory s clear that Bob pur-

sued Breakspeare and early on she dd not know that he was marred. The

perod durng whch the two spent the most tme was Bob’s self-mposed

exle from Jamaca after the assassnaton attempt.

Bob’s nterest n Breakspeare was somewhat contradctory to the ph-

losophy of the rest of hs lfe. Breakspeare was all thngs representng Bab-

ylon, n that she came from a wealthy whte famly and she surrounded

herself wth ssues of vanty. As such, she was more concerned wth

wnnng beauty contests, such as Mss Jamaca Body Beautful and Mss

Unverse Bkn, than wth the plght of the black Jamacan underclass.

However, Bob was not attracted to her only physcally, but also because

of her honesty. Because of ths, Bob lavshed attenton on her that he dd

not on lavsh any other woman. He bought her a house n the Cherry

Gardens secton of Kngston and gave her money to start her own bus-

ness. Unlke hs relatonshp wth anyone other than Rta, when Bob and

Breakspeare’s sexual relatonshp ended they remaned frends for the rest

of Bob’s lfe.

Breakespeare went on to marry jazz gutarst and plot Rupert Bent.

They lve n the Stony Hll area of Jamaca and she remans busy. In ad-

dton to a sngng career, through whch she met her current husband,

she mantans the Ital craft shop that Bob gave her the captal to start.

Addtonally, Cndy s the mother of Bob’s son Daman “Junor Gong”

Marley. Daman was born n 1978 n Jamaca and has carved out qute a

nche n the Jamacan musc ndustry. The Junor Gong s the youngest

Marley chld by any mother.

Lke hs brothers and ssters, Daman got an early start n musc. He

began performng at age 13 when he formed the Shepherds band. The

group had local success and even performed at Reggae Bash n 1992 and

at the 1992 nstallment of Reggae Sunsplash. Daman often performed

around hs older brothers and ssters as he frequently served as the open-

ng act for Melody Makers concerts. By 1994, Daman was already workng

to establsh a solo reputaton. In 1996, he released hs solo debut album,

100

BOB MARLEY

Mr. Marley. Although t was a solo album, Daman’s brother Stephen

appeared on several songs and served as the producer. The release came

out as an offerng from the Ghetto Youths Internatonal label.

In 2001, Daman came nto hs own wth hs second solo record, Half-

way Tree. The album earned the young snger a Grammy Award for the

Best Reggae Album of the Year and saw Daman flexng hs now powerful

songwrtng muscles. The bggest dffculty wth the release was that t

was largely gnored by the record-buyng publc. That all changed when

Daman released Welcome to Jamrock n 2005. Ths release was afforded

sgnfcant pre-release buzz and was mmedately popular when t ht the

streets. The ttle track came out n remxes and alternate versons rght

away, and the album made t nto the Top 10. The album mxed hard-

httng lyrcs about the realtes of lfe wth eclectc musc that blended

reggae, hp-hop, rhythm and blues, and dancehall.

Agan t was a solo release, but Daman credted Stephen as the co-

producer of the album. The producton style s remnscent of roots reggae

stalwarts Sly and Robbe. The album was agan released on the famly’s

Tuff Gong/Ghetto Youths Internatonal label and revealed another of the

Marley chldren comng nto ther own. In the lght of hs father’s legacy,

Daman’s latest release mxed songs of protest wth songs of love and agan

forwarded Bob’s musc and message.

Daman’s most popular (and as yet most commercally vable) materal

echoed the sentments of hs father at hs most mltant. “Welcome to

Jamrock” was a fery and outraged descrpton of the underprvleged held

n bondage by the poltcal system n Jamaca. Ths has not escaped the

youngest Marley’s attenton. Daman has worked long and hard to make

hs musc resonate on the streets and he has acheved that goal wth hs

most recent offerngs.

makeda JahneSta

The last of the recognzed Marley chldren was born n 1981. Makeda

Jahnesta Marley was the product of an encounter between the reggae

superstar and a woman named Yvette Crchton. Nothng was documented

about ths unon beyond the notable product. The frst name of the young-

est of Bob’s chldren was taken from the Bble and was also the Ethopan

name for the Queen of Sheba. Her mddle name combnes the Rastafar-

an word for God and her father’s mddle name. Makeda does not seem to

have made a lfe n the lmelght and lttle s known about her other than

the fact that by 1992 she became an offcal benefcary of the Marley

estate and from that tme forward was a regular at Rta’s house.

THE MARLEY FAMILY

101

recent developmentS

A partcularly strange twst n Bob’s lfe after death was announced n

late 2006. Rta has planned a new Bob Marley bopc that wll cover hs

lfe pror to hs becomng famous. Oscar Award–nomnated drector Ra-

chd Bauchareb (Dust of Life) has been tapped as the drector. However,

the bggest pont of contenton has been Rta’s choce of Jame Foxx to

play the young Bob. Whle Foxx receved crtcal acclam for hs portrayal

of Ray Charles, t s unlkely that he can carry off a 16-year-old Marley.

Due to ths dubous choce, the flm s already beng heavly crtczed and

has only just gone nto pre-producton n early 2007.

And stll the legend lves on. Beyond hs fame, hs legacy, hs chldren,

and hs musc, Bob’s name tself contnues to be prased and celebrated. The

memory of the man contnues to draw nterest around the world. In fact,

each year there are nternatonal concerts commemoratng hs brthday.

Contrary to conventonal wsdom (that eventually Bob wll be forgotten),

the concerts grow large and swell wth more and more attendees annually.

One partcularly nterestng example was the celebraton of Bob’s 60th

brthday n 2005. The offcal, and largest, celebraton took place n Adds

Ababa, Ethopa, and was accompaned by a three-day conference about

all thngs assocated wth Bob. Lumnares who were actve n the confer-

ence ncluded Amercan actor Danny Glover, members of the Ethopan

government, Madame Wnne Mandela, Cedella Marley, Maya Angelou,

Inda Ire, Zggy Marley, and Angelque Kdjo. Performers who graced the

stage durng the celebraton ncluded Baaba Maal, Youssou N’Dour, An-

gelque Kdjo, Tagass Kng, and Rta and Zggy Marley. The event centered

on the conference n Ethopa, but there were smultaneous celebratons

around the world. The Bob Marley Foundaton promoted 60th brthday

events n the Unted States, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and South Afrca.

The 2007 Bob Marley 62nd brthday celebraton was another major

event. For ths, Stephen, Julan, Daman, and Ky-Man staged a concert

on February 10 called “Smle Jamaca.” The concert was staged at the

Marley ancestral home n Nne Mle, St. Ann Parsh, Jamaca. The Mar-

ley sons took the concert’s name from a lke performance that ther father

gave n 1976. At that orgnal concert, Bob was spreadng the message of

peace and now hs sons have taken up that msson. The concert was pur-

posely set to concde wth Bob Marley week, when the largest number of

toursts vst Jamaca. Wth ths, the joy and the message of Bob’s lfe and

musc contnue. Hs legacy s n the capable hands of hs chldren and he

s not forgotten. Robert Nesta Marley’s musc lves on n a varety of forms

from Nne Mle to Kngston, from Mam to New York, from Jamaca to

the rest of the world.

102

seleCted disCography

The Best of the Wailers 1970/ Kong / Beverley’s/BLP 001

Soul Shakedown Party, Stop That Tran, Cauton, Soul Captves, Go Tell It
on the Mountan, Can’t You See, Soon Come, Cheer Up, Back Out, Do It
Twce

Catch a Fire 1972 (Aprl)/Marley and Blackwell/Island/ILPS 9241

Concrete Jungle, Slave Drver, 400 Years, Stop That Tran, Baby We’ve Got
a Date, Str It Up, Knky Reggae, No More Trouble, Mdnght Ravers

Burnin’ 1973 (November)/Walers and Blackwell/Island/ILPS 9256

Get Up, Stand Up, Hallelujah Tme, I Shot the Sherff, Burnn’ and Lootn’,
Put It On, Small Axe, Pass It On, Duppy Conqueror, One Foundaton, Rasta
Man Chant

African Herbsman 1973/Perry/Trojan/TRLS 62

Lvely Up Yourself, Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror, Trench Town Rock, Af-
rcan Herbsman, Keep On Movng, Fussng and Fghtng, Stand Alone, All
n One, Don’t Rock My Boat, Put It On, Sun Is Shnng, Kaya, Rdng Hgh,
Bran Washng, 400 Years

Natty Dread 1974 (October)/Blackwell and the Walers/Island/ILPS 9281

Lvely Up Yourself, No Woman, No Cry, Them Belly Full (But We Hungry),
Rebel Musc (Three O’Clock Road Block), So Jah Seh, Natty Dread, Bend
Down Low, Talkn’ Blues, Revoluton

Live! Bob Marley and the Wailers 1975 (May)/Steve Smth and Blackwell/Island/

ILPS 9376
Trench Town Rock, Burnn’ and Lootn’, Them Belly Full (But We Hun-
gry), Lvely Up Yourself, No Woman, No Cry, I Shot the Sherff, Get Up,
Stand Up

103

104

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Rastaman Vibration 1976 (Aprl)/Marley and the Walers/ I LPS 9383

Postve Vbraton, Roots, Rock, Reggae, Johnny Was, Cry to Me, Want
More, Crazy Baldhead, Who the Cap Ft, Nght Shft, War, Rat Race

Exodus 1977 (May)/Marley and the Walers/Island/ILPS 9498

Natural Mystc, So Much Thngs to Say, Gultness, The Heathen, Exodus,
Jammng, Watng n Van, Turn Your Lghts Down Low, Three Lttle Brds,
One Love/People Get Ready

Kaya 1978 (March)/ Marley and the Walers/Island/ILPS 9517

Easy Skankn’, Kaya, Is Ths Love, Sun Is Shnng, Satsfy My Soul, She’s
Gone, Msty Mornng, Crss, Runnng Away, Tme Wll Tell

Babylon by Bus 1978 (December)/Marley and the Walers/Island/ISLD 1298

Postve Vbraton, Punky Reggae Party, Exodus, Str It Up, Rat Race, Con-
crete Jungle, Knky Reggae, Lvely Up Yourself, Rebel Musc, War/No More
Trouble, Is Ths Love, The Heathen, Jammng

Survival 1979 (October)/Marley, Walers, and Alex Sadkn/ Island/ILPS 9542

So Much Trouble n the World, Zmbabwe, Top Rankn’, Babylon System,
Survval, Afrca Unte, One Drop, Rde Natty Rde, Ambush n the Nght,
Wake Up and Lve

Uprising 1980 (June)/Marley and the Walers/Island/ILPS 9596

Comng n from the Cold, Real Stuaton, Bad Card, We and Dem, Work,
Zon Tran, Pmper’s Paradse, Could You Be Loved, Forever Lovng Jah, Re-
dempton Song

Chances Are 1981/Sms, Nash, Perkns/Cotllon/SD 5228

Reggae on Broadway, Gonna Get You, Chances Are, Soul Rebel, Dance Do
the Reggae, Mellow Mood, Stay wth Me, (I’m) Hurtng Insde

Confrontation 1983/Blackwell and the Walers/Island/7 90085–1

Chant Down Babylon, Buffalo Solder, Jump Nyabngh, Mx Up, Mx
Up, Gve Thanks and Prases, Blackman Redempton, Trench Town, Stff
Necked Fools, I Know, Rastaman Lve Up

Legend: The Best of Bob Marley 1984/Island/7 90169–1

Is Ths Love, No Woman, No Cry, Could You Be Loved, Three Lttle Brds,
Buffalo Solder, Get Up, Stand Up, Str It Up, One Love/People Get Ready,
I Shot the Sherff, Watng n Van, Redempton Song, Satsfy My Soul,
Exodus, Jammng

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Rebel Music 1986/varous producers/Island/ ILPS

9843
Rebel Musc, So Much Trouble n the World, Them Belly Full (But We
Hungry), Rat Race, War, Roots, Slave Drver, Rde Natty Rde, Crazy Bald-
head, Get Up, Stand Up

Bob Marley and the Wailers: The Birth of a Legend 1990/varous producers/Epc/

ZGK 46769

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

105

Smmer Down, It Hurts to Be Alone, Lonesome Feelngs, Love and Affecton,
I’m Stll Watng, One Love, I Am Gong Home, Wngs of a Dove, Let Hm
Go, Who Feels It Knows It, Maga Dog, I Made a Mstake, Lonesome Track,
Nobody Knows, The Ten Commandments of Love, Donna, Do You Remem-
ber, Dancng Shoes, I Don’t Need Your Love, Do You Feel the Same Way

Talkin’ Blues 1991/Island-Tuff Gong/422–848 243

Talkn’ Blues, Burnn’ and Lootn’, Knky Reggae, Get Up, Stand Up, Slave
Drver, Walk the Proud Land, Lvely Up Yourself, You Can’t Blame the Youth,
Stop That Tran, Rastaman Chant, Am-A-Do (prevously unreleased)

Bob Marley: Songs of Freedom 1992/varous producers/Island-Tuff Gong/TGCBX1

CD 1: Judge Not, One Cup of Coffee, Smmer Down, I’m Stll Watng, One
Love, Put It On, Bus Dem Shut, Mellow Mood, Bend Down Low, Hypo-
crtes, Str It Up, Nce Tme, Thank You Lord, Hammer, Cauton, Back Out,
Soul Shakedown Party, Do It Twce, Soul Rebel, Sun Is Shnng, Don’t Rock
My Boat, Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror, Mr. Brown
CD 2: Screwface, Lck Samba, Trench Town Rock, Craven Choke Puppy,
Guava Jelly, Acoustc Medley, I’m Hurtng Insde, Hgh Tde or Low Tde,
Slave Drver, No More Trouble, Concrete Jungle, Get Up, Stand Up, Rasta-
man Chant, Burnn’ and Lootn’, Iron, Lon, Zon, Lvely Up Yourself, Natty
Dread, I Shot the Sherff
CD 3: No Woman, No Cry, Who the Cap Ft, Jah Lve, Crazy Baldhead,
War, Johnny Was, Rat Race, Jammn’, Watng n Van, Exodus, Natural
Mystc, Three Lttle Brds, Runnng Away, Keep On Movng, Easy Skankn’,
Is Ths Love, Smle Jamaca, Tme Wll Tell
CD 4: Afrca Unte, One Drop, Zmbabwe, So Much Trouble, Rde Natty
Rde, Babylon System, Comng n from the Cold, Real Stuaton, Bad Card,
Could You Be Loved, Forever Lovng Jah, Rastaman Lve Up, Gve Thanks
and Prase, One Love, Why Should I, Redempton Song

Bob Marley: I Shot the Sheriff 1993/lve performance/On Stage CD/12037

(Recorded at the Quet Knght Club, Chcago, June 10, 1975)
Trench Town Rock, Rebel Musc, Natty Dread, Mdnght Ravers, Slave
Drver, Concrete Jungle, Talkn’ Blues, I Shot the Sherff

Bob Marley Interviews: So Much Things to Say 1995/RAS/varous producers/RAS

3171
Natural Mystc, Trench Town Rock, Redempton Song, Babylon System,
Tme Wll Tell, Natural Mystc, Revoluton, Survval, One Drop, Roots,
Rock, Reggae, Guava Jelly, Rat Race

Bob Marley and Friends: Roots of a Legend 1997/varous producers/Trojan/

CDTAL 901
CD 1: Shocks of Mghty, part 1, Shocks of Mghty, part 2, Don’t Let the Sun
Catch You Cryng, Upsettng Staton, Zg Zag, Run for Cover, Long Long

106

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Wnter, All n One, Copasetc, One n All, More Axe, Shocks 71, The Axe
Man, Send Me That Love, Man to Man, Ncoteen, Don’t Rock My Boat, I
Lke It Lke Ths, Love Lght Shnng, I Gotta Keep On Movng, Movng
(alternatve verson), Ranbow Country
CD 2: Dreamland, Dreamland (verson), Dreamland (verson 2), The Crm-
son Prate, Arse Blackman, Rghtful Ruler, The Return of Alcapone, Maga
Dog, Skanky Dog, Boney Dog, Downpresser, Moon Dust, Rudes Medley,
Rude Boy (verson), Dun Valley, Brand New Second Hand, Brand New Sec-
ond Hand (verson), Romper Room, Them a F Get a Beaten, Get a Beaten,
Selasse Serenade, Leave My Busness

The Complete Bob Marley and the Wailers, 1967–1972, Part 1 1997/Sms/JAD/

JAD-CD-1002
CD 1: Rock to the Rock, Rockng Steady, How Many Tmes, Touch Me,
Mellow Mood, There She Goes, Soul Rebel, Put It On, Chances Are, Love,
Bend Down Low, The World Is Changng, Nce Tme, Treat You Rght,
What Goes Around Comes Around, What Goes Around Comes Around
(verson)
CD 2: Don’t Rock My Boat, The Lord Wll Make a Way, Chances Are,
Selasse Is the Chapel, Tread Oh, Feel Alrght, Rhythm, Rockng Steady,
Adam and Eve, Wsdom, Ths Tran, Thank You Lord, Gve Me a Tcket,
Trouble on the Road Agan, Black Progress, Black Progress (verson), Tread
Oh (verson)
CD 3: Sugar Sugar, Stop the Tran, Cheer Up, Soon Come, Soul Captves,
Go Tell It on the Mountan, Can’t You See, Gve Me a Tcket, Hold on to
Ths Feelng, Mr. Chatterbox, Soul Shakedown (verson), Soon Come (ver-
son), Mr. Chatterbox (verson), Hold on to Ths Feelng (verson)

The Complete Bob Marley and the Wailers, 1967–1972, Part II 1997/Sms/JAD/

JAD-CD-1004
CD 1: Try Me, It’s Alrght, No Sympathy, My Cup, Soul Almghty, Rebel’s
Hop, Corner Stone, 400 Years, No Water, Reacton. Dub tracks: My Sympa-
thy, Soul Rebel (verson), Try Me (verson), It’s Alrght (verson), No Sym-
pathy (verson), My Cup (verson), Soul Almghty (verson), Rebel’s Hop
(verson), Corner Stone (verson), No Water (verson), No Water (verson),
Reacton (verson), Rebel (verson)
CD 2: Keep On Movng, Put It On, Fussng and Fghtng, Memphs, Rd-
ng Hgh, Kaya, Afrcan Herbsman, Stand Alone. Dub tracks: Bran Wash-
ng (verson), Keep On Movng (verson), Don’t Rock My Boat (verson),
Fussng and Fghtng (verson), Put It On (verson), Duppy (verson), Mem-
phs (verson), Rdng Hgh (verson), Kaya (verson), Afrcan Herbsman
(verson), Stand Alone (verson), Dun Is Shnng (verson), Bran Washng
(verson 2)

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

107

CD 3: Kaya, Love Lght, Second Hand, Jah Is Mghty, Run for Cover, Man to
Man, Downpresser, Don’t Rock My Boat, More Axe, Long Long Wnter, All
n One, Turn Me Loose. Dub tracks: Kaya (verson), Battle Axe (verson),
Long Long Wnter (verson), Second Hand (verson); Downpresser (ver-
son), Shocks of Mghty (verson), Axe Man (verson), Ncoteen (verson)

The Complete Bob Marley and the Wailers: 1967 to 1972, part III 1999/Sms/JAD/

JAD-CD-1005
CD 1: All n One (medley of Bend Down Low/One Love/Smmer Down/
Love and Affecton), All n One (part 2: medley of Love and Affecton/
Put It On), Keep On Skankn’, Dreamland, Love Lght, Brand New Second
Hand (false start), Brand New Second Hand, Shocks of Mghty, Keep On
Movng (also known as I’m Gonna Keep On Movng), Keep On Movng
(extended verson), Keep On Movng (extended verson 2), Concrete Jungle,
Screwface, Satsfy My Soul, Send Me That Love, Comma Comma, Jungle
Dub (dub verson of Concrete Jungle), Dracula (dub verson of Mr. Brown),
Love Lght (dub verson), Dreamland (dub verson), Face Man (dub verson
of Screwface), Satsfy My Soul (dub verson)
CD 2: Screwface, Redder Than Red, Lvely Up Yourself, Trouble Dub, Dub
Feelng, Satsfy My Soul, Kngston 12, Pour Down the Sunshne, Gonna Get
You, Cry to Me, Reggae on Broadway, I’m Hurtng Insde, Oh Lord, Got to Get
There, Dance Do the Reggae, Stay wth Me, Guava Jelly, Guava (dub verson
of Guava Jelly), Red (dub verson of Redder Than Red), Lve (dub verson
of Lvely Up Yourself), Samba (dub verson of Lck Samba), Screwface (dub
verson), Groovng Kngston (dub verson of Trench Town Rock), Choke
(dub verson of Craven Chock Puppy), Satsfy My Soul (dub verson)

Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Complete Soul Rebels and the Upsetter Record Shop

1999/Lee Perry/Culture Press/CP 017
CD 1: Soul Rebels, Soul Rebels (verson), No Water, No Water (verson),
Rebel Hop, Rebel Hop (verson), No Sympathy, No Sympathy (verson), It’s
Alrght, It’s Alrght (verson), Reacton, Reacton (verson), Corner Stone,
Corner Stone (verson), 400 Years, 400 Years (verson), Make Up, Make Up
(verson), Try Me, Try Me (verson), Soul Almghty, Soul Almghty (verson)
CD 2: Concrete Jungle, Concrete Jungle (verson), Screwface, Screwface
(verson), Love Lfe, Love Lfe (verson), Satsfy My Soul, Satsfy My Soul
(verson), Ranbow Country, Ranbow Country (verson), Long Long Wn-
ter, Long Long Wnter (verson), Put It On, Put It On (verson), Don’t Rock
My Boat, Don’t Rock My Boat (verson), Keep On Movn’, Keep On Movn’
(verson)

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Climb the Ladder 2000/Dodd/Heartbeat/11661–7751–2

Dancng Shoes, Put It On, Lonesome Track, Clmb the Ladder, Love Won’t
Be Mne Ths Way, Dreamland, Lemon Tree, Nobody Knows, Wngs of a

108

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Dove, Snner Man, Ten Commandments of Love, Sunday Mornng, I Made
a Mstake, I Don’t Need Your Love, Donna, The Jerk, Just n Tme

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Catch a Fire (Deluxe Edition) 2001/Marley and Black-

well/UMe/314548635–2
CD 1: Concrete Jungle, Str It Up, Hgh Tde or Low Tde, Stop That Tran,
400 Years, Baby, We’ve Got a Date, Mdnght Ravers, All Day, All Nght,
Slave Drver, Knky Reggae, No More Trouble
CD 2: Concrete Jungle, Slave Drver, 400 Years, Stop That Tran, Baby,
We’ve Got a Date, Str It Up, Knky Reggae, No More Trouble, Mdnght
Ravers

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Exodus (Deluxe Edition) 2001/Marley and Blackwell/

UMe /314586408–2
CD 1: Natural Mystc, So Much Thngs to Say, Gultness, The Heathen,
Exodus, Jammng, Watng n Van, Turn Your Lghts Down Low, Three Lt-
tle Brds, One Love/People Get Ready
Addtonal tracks: Roots, Watng n Van (alternate verson), Jammng (long
verson), Jammng (verson), Exodus (verson)
CD 2: The Heathen, Crazy Baldhead/Runnng Away, War/No More Trouble,
Jammng, Exodus, Punky Reggae Party, Punky Reggae Party (verson), Keep
On Movng, Keep On Movng (verson), Exodus

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Rastaman Vibration (Deluxe Edition) 2002/Marley and

Blackwell/UMe /440063446–2
CD 1: Postve Vbraton, Roots, Rock, Reggae, Johnny Was, Cry to Me,
Want More, Crazy Baldhead, Who the Cap Ft, Nght Shft, War, Rat Race
Addtonal tracks: Jah Lve, Concrete Jungle, Roots, Rock, Reggae (verson),
Roots, Rock Dub, Want More, Crazy Baldhead (verson), Johnny Was
CD 2: Introducton, Trench Town Rock, Burnn’ and Lootn’, Them Belly
Full (But We Hungry), Rebel Musc, I Shot the Sherff, Want More, No
Woman, No Cry, Lvely Up Yourself, Roots, Rock, Reggae, Rat Race, Smle
Jamaca Sessons (late 1976), Smle Jamaca (part one), Smle Jamaca
(part two)

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Live at the Roxy 2003/Suha Gur/UMe /B0000516–02

Introducton, Trench Town Rock, Burnn’ and Lootn’, Them Belly Full (But
We Hungry), Rebel Musc, Want More, No Woman, No Cry, Lvely Up
Yourself, Roots, Rock, Reggae, Rat Race
Encore: Postve Vbraton, Get Up, Stand Up/No More Trouble/War

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Burnin’ (Deluxe Edition) 2004/Marley and Blackwell/

UMe /B0003359–02
CD 1: Get Up, Stand Up, Hallelujah Tme, I Shot the Sherff, Burnn’ and
Lootn’, Put It On, Small Axe, Pass It On, Duppy Conqueror, One Founda-
ton, Rasta Man Chant

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

109

Bonus tracks: Rencarnated Souls, No Sympathy, The Oppressed Song, Get
Up, Stand Up (unreleased alternate take), Get Up Stand Up (unreleased
sngle verson)
CD 2: Duppy Conqueror, Slave Drver, Burnn’ and Lootn’, Can’t Blame the
Youth, Stop That Tran, Mdnght Ravers, No More Trouble, Knky Reggae,
Get Up, Stand Up, Str It Up, Put It On, Lvely Up Yourself

Africa Unite: The Singles Collection 2005/Marley and Blackwell/Island/

B0005723–02
Soul Rebels, Lvely Up Yourself, Trench Town Rock, Concrete Jungle, I Shot
the Sherff, Get Up, Stand Up, No Woman, No Cry, Roots, Rock, Reggae,
Exodus, Watng n Van, Jammn’, Is Ths Love, Sun Is Shnng, Could You
Be Loved, Three Lttle Brds, Buffalo Solder, One Love/People Get Ready,
Afrca Unte, Slogans, Stand Up/Jamrock

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Gold 2005/Marley and Blackwell/Island/B0004008–02

CD 1: Str It Up, Slave Drver, Concrete Jungle, Get Up, Stand Up, I Shot
the Sherff, Burn’ and Lootn’, Lvely Up Yourself, Rebel Musc, Trench
Town Rock, No Woman, No Cry, Jah Lve, Postve Vbraton, Roots, Rock
Reggae, Crazy Baldhead, Natural Mystc, Exodus, Jammn’
CD 2: One Love/People Get Ready, Watng In Van, Punky Reggae Party, Is
Ths Love, Sun Is Shnng, Satsfy My Soul, Knky Reggae, Medley: War/No
More Trouble, So Much Trouble n the World, Afrca Unte, One Drop,
Could You Be Loved, Comng n from the Cold, Redempton Song, Buffalo
Solder, Rastaman Lve Up, Iron, Lon, Zon

One Love at Studio One: 1964–1966 2006/ Marley/ Heartbeat/CBHBEA319

CD 1: Ths Tran, Smmer Down, I Am Gong Home, Do You Remem-
ber, Mr. Talkatve, Habts, Amen, Go Jmmy Go, Teenager n Love, I Need
You, It Hurts to Be Alone, True Confessons, Lonesome Feelngs, There She
Goes, Damond Baby, Playboy, Where’s the Grl for Me, Hoolgan Ska, One
Love, Love and Affectons, Tell The Lord
CD 2: And I Love Her, Rude Boy, I’m Stll Watng, Ska Jerk, Somewhere to
Lay My Head, Wages of Love (rehearsal), Wages of Love, I’m Gonna Put It
On, Cry to Me, Jalhouse, Snner Man, He Who Feels It Knows It, Let Hm
Go, When the Well Runs Dry, Can’t You See, What Am I Supposed to Do,
Rollng Stone, Bend Down Low, Freedom Tme, Rockng Steady

Bob Marley: The Anthology 2006/varous/Golden Lane Records/1580

CD 1: Natural Mystc, Ranbow Country, I Know A Place, Concrete Jungle,
Trench Town Rock, Sun Is Shnng, Keep On Skankng, Satsfy My Soul,
Keep On Movng, Long Long Wnter, Don’t Rock My Boat, Dr. Brown, My
Cup, Love Lght Shnng, Who Colt the Game
CD 2: Lvely Up Yourself, Small Axe, More Axe, Duppy Conqueror, Kaya,
Kaya (verson), Turn Me Loose, Soul Rebel, Run for Cover, Pcture on the

110

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Wall, Afrcan Herbsman, Man to Man, Jah s Mghty, Stand Alone, Send
Me That Love

The Very Best of Bob Marley 2006/varous/Mastersong / B000FFJ7EU

CD 1: Afrcan Herbsman, Lvely Up Yourself, Fussng and Fghtng, Soul Rebel,
Soul Shakedown, 400 Years, Sun Is Shnng, Natural Mystc, Soul Almghty,
Kaya, Reacton, No Sympathy, Mellow Mood, Trench Town Rock, Cheer Up,
Small Axe, Rebel’s Hop, Cauton, Ranbow Country, Can’t You See
CD 2: All n One, There She Goes, My Cup, It’s Alrght, Treat You Rght,
Mr. Brown, Bran Washng, Stand Alone, Corner Stone, Duppy Con-
queror, Chances Are, Put It On/Don’t Rock My Boat, You Can’t Do That
to Me, Hammer, No Water

Bob Marley Forever 2006/varous/Madacy Records/B000JMK68U

CD 1: Rebel’s Hop, Soul Almghty, Trench Town Rock, Afrcan Herbsman,
Stand Alone, Mr. Brown, Bran Washng, 400 Years, All n One, Cauton,
Soon Come, Go Tell It on the Mountan
CD 2: Kaya, Soul Rebel, It’s Alrght, My Cup, Mellow Mood, Touch Me,
No Water, Soul Captves, Don’t Rock My Boat, Try Me, Ranbow Country,
Fussn’ and Fghtn’
CD 3: How Many Tmes, Memphs, Rdng Hgh, Corner Stone, Hammer,
You Can’t Do That to Me, Chances Are, Stop the Tran, Duppy Conqueror,
Lvely Up Yourself, Sun Is Shnng, Do It Twce

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Trilogy 2006/varous/Musc Brokers Arg/B000F2BNYK

CD 1: There She Goes, Can’t You See, Cheer Up, Back Out, Satsfy My
Soul, Redder Than Red, Mellow Mood, Soul Shakedown Party, Mr. Brown,
Soul Captves, Go Tell It on the Mountan, Soon Come, Do It Twce, Stop
the Tran, Mr. Chatterbox, Power and More Power, Touch Me, Treat You
Rght
CD 2: Try Me, It’s Alrght, No Sympathy, My Cup, Soul Almghty, 400
Years, No Water, Reacton, Keep On Movng, Don’t Rock My Boat, Put
It On, Rdng Hgh, Rdng Hgh, Kaya, Sun Is Shnng, Concrete Jungle,
Screw Face, Love Lfe
CD 3: Lvely Up Yourself, Ranbow Country, Natural Mystc, Small Axe,
Fussn’ and Fghtn’, Corner Stone, Chances Are, Cauton, Hammer, Rebels
Hop, All n One (medley), Soul Rebel, Trench Town Rock, You Can’t Do
That to Me, How Many Tmes, Bran Washng, Duppy Conqueror, Rasta
(nstrumental), I Shot the Sherff (nstrumental), Try Me (nstrumental)

Bob Marley: 400 Years 2006/varous/Dbk Works/B000EUMK8Q

Soul Shakedown Party, Lvely Up Yourself, Trench Town Rock, Stand
Alone, Fussn’ and Fghtn’, Memphs, Bran Washng, Duppy Conqueror,
Rdng Hgh, Reacton, Soul Almghty, Sun Is Shnng, Small Axe, All n
One (medley), 400 Years, Mr. Brown

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

111

Bob Marley: Reggae Master 2006/varous/Immergent/B000I0N6PE

Lvely Up Yourself, Trench Town Rock, Afrcan Herbsman, Kaya, Stand
Alone, Soul Rebel, 400 Years, It’s Alrght, No Sympathy, Rebel’s Hop, Cor-
ner Stone

Bob Marley: No Sympathy 2006/varous/Dbk Works/B000EUMK86

Kaya, Ranbow, Soul Rebel, Afrcan Herbsman, Try Me, It’s Alrght, There
She Goes, You Can’t Do That To Me, Touch Me, Hammer, My Cup, Chances
Are, Treat You Rght, No Water, Corner Stone

Bob Marley: Stop That Train 2006/varous/Dbk Works/B000CC4VZ6

Natural Mystc, Keep On Movng, Soul Captves, How Many Tmes, Stop
That Tran, Go Tell It on the Mountan, Cauton, Back Out, Mellow Mood,
Rebel’s Hop, Do It Twce, Put It On, Don’t Rock My Boat, Cheer Up, Soon
Come, Can’t You See

Bob Marley: Soul Shakedown Party 2006/varous/Ground Floor/B000FBG0JO

CD 1: Soul Shakedown Party, Small Axe, Back Out, Do It Twce, Trench
Town Rock, Natural Mystc, 400 Years, Mr. Brown, Soul Rebel, Ranbow
Country, Kaya, Keep On Movng, Don’t Rock My Boat, Put It On, There
She Goes, Mellow Mood, Chances Are, Hammer, You Can’t Do That to Me
CD 2: Afrcan Herbsman, Stand Alone, Sun Is Shnng, Bran Washng,
Lvely Up Yourself, Go Tell It on the Mountan, Duppy Conqueror, Fussn’
and Fghtn’, Rdng Hgh, Try Me, No Sympathy, My Cup, Corner Stone,
No Water, Reacton, Cheer Up, Soon Come, Rebel’s Hop, Put It On, Soul
Captves

Bob Marley: Keep On Skanking 2006/varous/Atom/B000EHTO3I

Satsfy My Soul, Don’t Rock My Boat, Kaya, 400 Years, Duppy Conqueror,
Jah Is Mghty, Keep On Movng, Screw Face, Ths Tran, Soul Rebel, All In
One, Go Tell It on the Mountan, Afrcan Herbsman, Hey, Happy People,
Pcture on the Wall, Corner Stone, Soul Shakedown Party, Trench Town
Rock, Thank You Lord, Lvely Up Yourself, Small Axe, Concrete Jungle, Put
It On, Keep On Skankng, My Cup, Ranbow Country, Dracula, Long Long
Wnter, Mr. Brown, Natural Mystc, I Lke It Lke Ths, Stop That Tran,
Wsdom, Ncoteen, Man to Man, Sun Is Shnng

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Definitive Gold 2006/varous/Déjà vu Italy/

B000IMV3ZQ
Trench Town Rock, Soul Rebel, Kaya, Go Tell It on the Mountan, Try Me,
It’s Alrght, No Sympathy, No Water, Ranbow Country, There She Goes,
Mellow Mood, Treat You Rght, Chances Are, Hammer, Touch Me, Cauton,
Soul Captves, Can’t You See, Reacton, 400 Years, Natural Mystc, Lvely
Up Yourself, Soul Shakedown Party, Soon Come, Cheer Up, Back Out, Do
It Twce, Keep On Movng, Don’t Rock My Boat, Put It On, Fussn’ and
Fghtn’, Duppy Conqueror, Small Axe, Rdng Hgh, Afrcan Herbsman,

112

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Stand Alone, Sun Is Shnng, Mr. Brown, Str It Up, Stop That Tran, Keep
On Skankng, Bran Washng, Corner Stone, All n One, Man to Man,
Wsdom, Mr. Chatterbox, One n All, Dreamland, Run for Cover, I Lke It
Lke Ths, Turn Me Loose, Brand New Second Hand, Ths Tran, There She
Goes, How Many Tmes, Treat You Rght, Love Lght Shnng, Rebel’s Hop,
Satsfy My Soul, Pcture on the Wall, Shocks of Mghty, Shocks of Mghty
(part 2), My Cup, Adam and Eve, Downpressor, Long Long Wnter, Thank
You Lord, Tell Me, Soul Almghty, Send Me That Love, Make Up, Con-
crete Jungle, Screw Face, Love Lfe, Nce Tme, Power and More Power,
Redder Than Red, Hypocrtes, All n One/One Love, Sun Is Shnng Dub,
No Sympathy Dub, Kaya Dub, Concrete Jungle Dub, Soul Rebels Dub, No
Water Dub, 400 Years Dub, Don’t Rock My Boat Dub, Corner Stone Dub,
Soul Almghty Dub, Rebel’s Hop Dub, It’s Alrght Dub, Keep On Movn’
Dub, Ranbow Country Dub, Satsfy My Soul Dub, Fussn’ and Fghtn’ Dub,
Afrcan Herbsman Dub, Duppy Conqueror Dub, Dracula/Mr. Brown Dub

BiBliography

BookS and articleS

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con Press, 1988.

Barrow, Steve, and Peter Dalton. Reggae: The Rough Guide. New York: Pengun

Books, 1997.

Bennett, Scotty. Bob Marley. New York: Vrgn Publshng, 1997.
Booker, Cedella, and Anthony Wnker. Bob Marley: An Intimate Portrait by His

Mother. New York: Vkng, 1996.

Boot, Adran, and Vvan Goldman. Bob Marley—Soul Rebel—Natural Mystic.

London: Eel Pe Publsher, 1981.

Boot, Adran, and Mchael Thomas. Jamaica: Babylon on a Thin Wire. London:

Thomas and Hudson, 1976.

Bordowtz, Hank, ed., Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright: The Bob Marley Reader.

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Bradley, Lloyd. “Uprsng.” Mojo, March 2005, 69– 81.
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Unversty of Waterloo, Canada, 1984.

Burnett, Mchael. Jamaican Music. London: Oxford Unversty Press, 1982.
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Campbell, Howard. “Jammng wth Jmmy Norman.” Jamaica Observer, Novem-

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118

index

(Song ttles n quotes, album ttles n talcs)

“Afrca Unte,” 53, 55

Africa Unite: The Singles

Collection, 64, 78–79

Al, Muhammad, 64

“Ambush n the Nght,” 52–53

Amsterdam, 49

Anderson, Al, 26, 28, 33, 46, 65

Anderson, Rta. See Marley, Rta

Anderson, Sharon, 87–88

Apollo Theater, Harlem, 54

Aswad, 41

Babylon by Bus, 49

Babylon System, 26–27, 41

“Babylon System,” 53

“Baby We’ve Got a Date,” 21

“Bad Card,” 59–60

Bad Wesse, Germany, 70–71

Barrett, Aston “Famly Man”, 18,

21, 72, 85, 90

Barrett Brothers (rhythm secton),

18–19, 23, 25, 29, 33–34, 60,

68, 71

Barrett, Carlton “Carle”, 18, 21, 39

Belnavs, Anta, 29, 97

“Bend Down Low,” 22, 26

Beverley’s record label, 9

Bg Youth, 46, 55

Black Ark studo, 36

“Blackman Redempton,” 78

Blackwell, Chrstopher, 20–23,

26, 28, 31–33, 37– 40, 48–50,

53, 59– 60, 73, 84, 99

Booker, Cedella, 4–7, 10, 16, 35,

56, 70–73, 80, 83, 85, 88, 92

Brathwate, Junor, 8, 12

Breakspeare, Cndy, 29, 40, 42,

94, 98–99

Brown, Denns, 46

Brown, James, 53

“Buffalo Solder,” 49, 78

Bundrck, John “Rabbt”, 29

Burnin’, 23–24, 30, 35, 68, 80–81

“Burnn’ and Lootn’,” 23, 30, 35,

Burnng Spear, 55

119

120

INDEX

Catch a Fire, 20–22, 24, 80–81

“Cauton,” 17, 88

Cayman Musc, 17

CBS, 19–20

Central Park, New York, 30,

66–69

Chances Are, 78

“Chant Down Babylon,” 78, 96

Charles, Prnce, 63

Charles, Ray, 8, 101

“Cheer Up,” 17

CIA, 36

Clapton, Erc, 27, 80

Clff, Jmmy, 9, 55

Cole, Alan “Skll”, 19, 33–34,

51–52, 66 – 67, 69–70, 74

“Comng n from the Cold,” 68

Commodores, the, 64, 65

“Concrete Jungle,” 19, 49

Confrontation, 56, 78

“Corner Stone,” 18

Cooke, Sam, 26

Coore, Stephen “Cat”, 38–39

“Could You Be Loved,” 59

“Crazy Baldhead,” 68, 81

“Crss,” 48

“Cry to Me,” 34

Culture, 40, 46, 54, 77

Da Costa, Glen, 25

Dekker, Desmond, 7–9

Dllnger, 46

Dodd, Clement “Coxsone”, 9–10,

18, 61

“Do The Reggay,” 17

Downe, Tyrone, 19, 22, 25, 29,

33–34, 39, 59, 74, 79

Drfters, the, 7, 11

“Duppy Conqueror,” 18, 22–23

Dynamc Sound studos, 19–20

Eccles, Clancy, 16

Essex House Hotel, 65

Ethopa, 13–14, 20, 33, 43,

51–52, 66, 70, 74–75, 78, 86,

100–101

Ethopan Orthodox Church, 66,

70, 74–75

“Exodus,” 41

Exodus, 41–44, 47–49, 54–55, 68,

77, 80–81

Famly Man. See Barrett, Aston

Fats Domno, 7

Federal Studos, 9

“Forever Lovng Jah,” 59

Ford, Vncent “Tartar”, 10

Fugees, the, 92, 98

Funeral, Bob Marley’s, 73–75, 89

Gabon, 57–59, 62

Garnett, Tony, 29, 31, 34–35

Garrck, Nevlle, 27, 29, 34,

37, 39

Garvey, Marcus, 14, 82

Gaye, Marvn, 25

Germany, 35, 43, 64, 70, 101

“Get Up, Stand Up,” 32, 30, 35,

55, 80

Ghetto Youths Crew, 91

Ghetto Youths Internatonal, 88,

92, 96, 100

Ghetto Youths Unted, 91–92

Glbert, Tony “Glle”, 34

“Gve Thanks and Prases,” 78

Glasspole, Florzel, 74

Gray, Claude, 9

Grffths, Marca, 21, 37

Grounatons, 15–16

“Guava Jelly,” 27

“Gultness,” 41

INDEX

121

Hale Selasse, Emperor, 13–15,

20, 26–27, 32, 34, 43, 47, 49,

52, 70, 78

Harare, 62–63

Harper, Ben, 93

Harper, Dave, 29, 31

Harry J’s studo, 19–20,

23–24, 32

“Heathen,” 41, 49, 61, 81

Hbbert, Toots, 17, 54

Hggs, Joe, 8, 23–24

Impressons, the, 7–8, 42

“I’m Stll Watng,” 11

Inner Crcle, 46

Intel-Dplo record label, 28

“I Shot the Sherff,” 23, 27,

30–31, 35

Island Records, 17, 20, 22–26, 28,

31, 33, 40–41, 46, 48, 59–60,

65, 78–80, 82, 84–85

Issels, Dr. Josef, 70–72

“Is Ths Love,” 48–49, 68

Ital, 15, 19, 23, 29, 83, 99

I-Threes, 21, 25, 29, 30, 34–35,

37, 59, 67, 74

“It Hurts to be Alone,” 22

Jackson, Mchael, 42

Jackson Fve, 28

“Jah Lve,” 32, 47

Jamacan Labour Party (JLP), 6,

36, 45–47, 61, 49, 68, 81

“Jammng,” 41–42, 47

Japan, 51

Jobson, Dane, 28, 52, 71–72

“Johnny Was,” 34

Jones, Tom, 12

“Judge Not,” 9, 97

“Jump Nyabngh,” 78

“Kaya,” 19, 22, 48

Kaya, 44, 46–49, 53, 55

Kaya, 78

“Keep On Movng,” 22, 81

Kelso, Beverley, 8, 12

Khour, Ken, 9

“Knky Reggae,” 21, 30, 49

Knsey, Donald, 33–34, 37, 39–41

Kong, Lesle, 9–10, 17–18

KSAN rado, 24

Kurts Blow, 54

Legend, 78–81

Lndo, Earl “Wya”, 22–24, 46, 59

Live!, 31, 49

“Lvely Up Yourself,” 19, 22, 26,

30, 35, 49

Lvngston, Nevlle (aka Bunny

Waler), 7–9, 13, 15–17, 19–21,

23–28, 31, 82, 93, 97

Lvngston, Pearl, 9–10, 74

“Lonesome Feelng,” 11, 22

Los Angeles, 30, 79

Lyceum Ballroom, London, 31

Madden, Davd, 25

Madson Square Garden, 54, 65

Malcolm, Cedella. See Booker,

Cedella

Malcolm, Omerah, 4, 15

Manley, Mchael, 20, 22, 35–37,

40, 44–47, 65, 74

Manley, Norman, 6

Marjuana, 2, 15–16, 21, 42, 47

Marley, Cedella, 88–89, 101

Marley, Ky-Man, 29, 87, 97–98, 101

Marley, Norval, 4

Marley, Rta, 6, 12–15, 19–22, 25,

37–39, 54, 63, 66–68, 72–73,

78, 82–89, 92–101

122

INDEX

Marley, Robbe, 22, 41, 87, 95, 100

Marley, Rohan, 22, 87, 94–95, 97

Marley, Zggy (Davd), 2, 16, 56,

73, 79–80, 82, 88–93, 95 –97,

101

Marshall, Bucky, 45, 62

Marvn, Junor, 40 –41, 43, 48,

59, 79

Massop, Claude, 46 –46, 52

Mayfeld, Curts, 7, 42, 81

Maytals, the, 17, 54

Max’s Kansas Cty, New York, 23

McCook, Tommy, 25

McIntosh, Peter. See Tosh, Peter

“Mellow Mood,” 17

Memoral Sloan-Ketterng Cancer

Center, 68–69

Mento, 7

Mchael, Ras, 39, 46

“Mdnght Ravers,” 21, 95

Mghty Damonds, 46

“Mx Up, Mx Up,” 78

“Mr. Brown,” 18

“Mr. Chatterbox,” 19

“Msty Mornng,” 48

Montego Bay, Jamaca, 3, 53

Morrs, Yvette, 53

Mos Def, 93

Mowatt, Judy, 21, 37

Nash, Johnny, 16–17, 19–21

Nassau, 39–40, 53, 56, 94

Natonal Heroes Park, Kngston,

“Natty Dread,” 30, 47

Natty Dread, 25–30

“Natural Mystc,” 19, 41, 47, 68,

Natural Mystic, the Legend Lives On:

Bob Marley and the Wailers, 78

Nevlle, Aaron, 11

New York, 23, 30, 35, 43, 48, 54,

61–62, 65, 67, 69, 92, 101

New Zealand, 1, 51

“Nght Shft,” 34

Nne Mle, 4–5, 75, 86–87, 101

Nkomo, Joshua, 62

“No More Trouble,” 21, 35, 49,

63, 68, 81

Now Generaton Band, 22, 24

“No Woman, No Cry,” 26, 30, 35,

68, 86

Nyabngh, 75, 78, 93

Old Grey Whistle Test, 23

“One Cup of Coffee,” 9

“One Drop,” 2, 53

One Drop rhythm, 1

“One Foundaton,” 23

“One Love,” 7, 22, 41–42, 47

One Love Peace Concert, 45–47,

Pars, 43, 49

Parks, Arkland “Drumbago”, 10

“Pass It On,” 23

Patterson, Alvn “Secco”, 10, 23,

People’s Natonal Party (PNP), 6,

20, 36, 38, 44–47, 61, 65

Perry, Lee “Scratch”, 18–19, 22,

32, 41, 52, 81

Phladelpha, Pennsylvana, 55

“Pmper’s Paradse,” 59

Pttsburgh, Pennsylvana, 67–68

Planno, Mortmer, 15–17

Polygram Records, 60–61, 65, 84

“Postve Vbraton,” 34–35, 47,

49, 68

“Punky Reggae Party,” 41,

49, 81

“Put It On,” 17, 22–23

INDEX

123

Queen (band), 69

Queen of Sheba Restaurant, 14,

53, 83, 100

Rangln, Ernest, 10

“Rastaman Chant,” 74

“Rastaman Lve Up,” 78

“Rastaman Vbraton,” 33

Rastaman Vibration, 33–34, 41,

80–81

“Rat Race,” 34–35, 49

“Real Stuaton,” 59

“Rebel Musc,” 26–27, 35, 49

“Redempton Song,” 59–60, 68, 79

“Reggae on Broadway,” 19

Reggae Sunsplash II, 53, 56

Red, Duke, 9

“Revoluton,” 26–27

Rche, Lonel, 65

“Rde Natty Rde,” 53

“Road Block,” 26–27, 30

Rodrguez, Rco, 10

Rockers, 41–42

Rock steady, 7, 11–12, 17, 98

Rolling Stone, 32, 77

Rollng Stones, the, 30–31, 56

“Roots Rock Reggae,” 34–35, 93

Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, 30,

35, 81

“Rude Boy,” 12, 18

Rude boy lfestyle, 12

“Runnng Away,” 48, 68

St. Ann’s Parsh, Jamaca, 2, 75

Salsbury (Harare), 62–63

San Francsco, Calforna, 24

“Satsfy My Soul,” 19, 48–49

Seaga, Edward, 36, 47, 73–74

“Smmer Down,” 10–11, 22

Sms, Danny, 16–17, 19–20, 60,

64– 65, 73

“She’s Gone,” 48

Ska, 7–12

“Slave Drver,” 21, 27, 96

Slavery, 5

Sly and the Famly Stone, 24

“Small Axe,” 18, 22–23

Smle Jamaca Concert, 36–38

Smth, Cherry, 8

Smth, Huey “Pano,” 7

“So Jah She,” 26, 39

“So Much Thngs to Say,” 41

“So Much Trouble n the World,”

Songs of Freedom, 78–79

Sons of Negus, 39, 46

“Soon Come,” 17

Soulettes, 12, 14

Sound system, 18

Spauldng, Anthony, 38

Sprngsteen, Bruce, 23

Stanley Theater, Pttsburgh,

67–68

Stepney All Age School, 4–5

“Stff Necked Fools,” 78

“Str It Up,” 16, 21, 49

“Stop That Tran,” 17, 21

Stresand, Barbra, 27

Studo One, 9–12, 14–15, 18

“Sun Is Shnng,” 22, 48

Sunshne House Cancer Center,

70–72, 86

“Survval,” 53

Survival, 53–56

Sweden, 19, 35, 43, 48, 64, 101

“Talkn’ Blues,” 26

Talkin’ Blues, 78

Taj Mahal, 27

Taylor, Don, 25, 28, 37, 58–60, 62

Teenagers, the, 8–10

Tekere, Edward, 62

124

INDEX

“Terror,” 9

“Them Belly Full,” 26, 30, 35, 68

Thrd World Band, the, 38–39,

41, 54

Thompson, Denns, 34

“Three Lttle Brds,” 41–42, 91

“Tme Wll Tell,” 48

Top Gear, 23

Top of the Pops, 43, 48

“Top Rankn’,” 53

Tosh, Peter, 8, 10, 12, 15–16,

19–21, 23–27, 31, 34, 46, 55,

80, 82

Tower Theater, Phladelpha, 35

Treasure Isle studos, 9

“Trench Town,” 6, 8, 10, 33, 95

Trnty, 46

Tull, Jethro, 20

“Turn Your Lghts Down Low,”

41–42

Twelve Trbes of Israel, 16, 34,

45–46, 61, 70, 74–75

“Two Sevens Clash,” 40

Unques, the, 12

Uprising, 55–57, 59–60,

64–65, 68

Upsetter Records, 18

Upsetters, 18

Waler, Bunny. See Lvngston,

Nevlle

Walng Walers, 10–12

Wal’N Soul’M, 16–18

“Watng n Van,” 41–42, 81, 99

“Wake Up and Lve,” 53–54

“Want More,” 34–35

“War,” 34–35, 39, 47, 49, 63, 68,

81, 95

“We and Dem,” 59

“What’s New Pussycat,” 12

“Who the Cap Ft,” 34

Wllams, Patrca, 22

Wlmngton, Delaware, 10, 14, 92

Wnwood, Steve, 20, 40

Wonder, Steve, 31, 55, 89, 92, 97

“Work,” 59–60, 68

Wrght, Betty, 58

Yesuhaq, Archbshop, 74

Zap Pow horns, 25, 39, 42

“Zmbabwe,” 54, 62

Zmbabwe (Afrca), 54, 57, 62–64,

68, 89

Zmbabwe Afrcan Natonal

Unon (ZANU), 62

“Zon Tran,” 59, 68

Zurch, Swtzerland, 64

About the Author

DAVID V. MOSKOWITZ s assocate professor of muscology and graduate

coordnator n musc at the Unversty of South Dakota. He s the author of the

Greenwood reference book Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae,

Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall and The Words and Music of Bob Marley,

whch s part of The Praeger Snger-Songwrter Collecton.

125

126

Document Outline

Contents
Series Foreword
Acknowledgments
Timeline: Events in the Life of Bob Marley
Chapter 1 Country Boy to Ghetto Youth
Chapter 2 Out of the Ghetto, into the Limelight
Chapter 3 From Top of the Rock to Top of the World
Chapter 4 Reggae International
Chapter 5 Home to Mount Zion
Chapter 6 The Legacy and the Legend
Chapter 7 The Marley Family
Selected Discography
Bibliography
Index
Photo Essay

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