MARLEY, Bob, (Robert Nesta) (1945—81) Jamaican singer. guitarist and composer of reggae music, born in the rural parish of St Ann. After moving to Kingston at the age of 14, he made his first record at 19 and in 1965 formed the vocal trio the Wailers with Peter Tosh and ‘Bunny’ Livingstone. Together they became the first reggae artists to achieve international success. Marley continued to build on this through a series of world tours after the departure of his original collaborators, By the 1970s both through his music and his religious and political views (which made him, at one point, the victim of an assassination attempt) he became a national hero. A devout Rastafarian, Marley ,ade reggae popular with white audiences through a warm expressive voice, memorable compositions ... and a willingness to embrace rock styles and, techniques. Though suffering from cancer in his last years, his output was undiminished and he remained a major force in black popular music.(Chambers Biographical Dictionary p. 975)
Having failed to guide Jimmy Cliff down the narrow path. Chis Blackwell turned his attentions to the Wailers, a trio whose records had been popular in Jamaica without causing much impression in Britain. After a long period of nurturing the group, Blackwell’s policy was vindicated as the group's leader, Bob Marley, emerged in the mid-seventies as one of pop music’s major figures, not simply the biggest reggae star but one of the ten “superstars” of the decade.(Charlie Gillett, The Sound of the City p. 392)
Iconic. File under Revolutionary Reggae Masters
Discography: Studio albums Live albums Compilations 1973-84 1985-2000 2001-Present
Remix albums Box sets; Other albums
In the music library: Burnin' Catch a Fire Live At the Roxy: The Complete Concert Natty Dread
Links: Wikipedia Official web site Facebook AllMusic Discogs Biography.com