On Valentine’s Day earlier this year, Bob Marley: One Love was released and we witnessed an epic love story. Not only do we see his love for his music and the people, but we also witness the love story between Bob and Rita Marley. To celebrate the Home Entertainment release of Bob Marley: One Love, we want to take a look at Bob’s incredible career, how he made an incredible name for himself, and how he became the King of Reggae.
1945
On 6th February 1945, Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley in Nine Miles, St Ann’s in Jamaica. He was the son of Norval Marley, a white British naval officer and Cedella Booker, a teenage Jamaican mother. Bob last saw his father when he was 5 years old and Norval passed away when Bob was 10.
1962
In December 1962, Bob recorded his first-ever song ‘Judge Not’. Bob was 16 years old at the time of the recording and provided a youthful voice throughout the song. The song is about morality and some of the lyrics are paraphrased in the background vocals of the later Marley hit “Could You Be Loved”.
1963
Bob Marley forms the vocal group ‘The Wailers’ which consists of Neville ‘Bunny’ Livingston (also known as Bunny Wailer) on percussion, Bob Marley on guitar, Peter McIntosh (also known as Peter Tosh) on keyboard, Junior Braithwaite on vocals, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith on backing vocals. Before choosing “The Wailers”, the group was also known as the Teenagers, the Wailing Rudeboys, and the Wailing Wailers.
1966
On 10th February 1966, Bob Marley married soul singer Alfarita Constantia “Rita” Anderson, a member of The Soulettes and later the I-Threes. Together they have five children; 3 children (David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley, Cedella Marley Minto and Stephen Robert Nesta Marley). Bob adopted Rita’s two daughters Sharon and Stephanie.
1970
Bob Marley forms his record label, Tuff Gong. Tuff Gong’ comes from Marley’s nickname; ‘Tuff’ for being a savvy street kid in the ghettos of Kingston and ‘Gong’ due to its Rastarafian connotations which was in turn an echo of that given to the founder of the Rastafari movement, Leonard “The Gong” Howell.
1973
Bob Marley and the Wailers sign to Chris Blackwell’s Island Records. They released the album Catch a Fire, which made a major impression in music markets outside the Caribbean with its most notable single ‘Stir It Up’. However, Livingston and Tosh left the band for solo careers. Eric Clapton covered The Wailers’ ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ in 1974 which took the song into the UK top 10, further adding to the song and band’s reputation.
1975
The band released the seminal album Natty Dread, which contains their landmark song No Woman, No Cry, catapulting Bob into a star!
1976
In December 1976, Bob and his wife Rita were injured in an assassination attempt in Jamaica. Despite the shooting, he promised he would perform one song at the Smile Jamaica Concert on December 5 at National Heroes Park, Kingston. In the event, Bob Marley & The Wailers played for 90 minutes.
1977
In June 1977, Bob Marley and The Wailers released Exodus, the album that critics claim propelled Marley to international stardom. Exodus is known for its iconic songs ‘Jamming’, ‘Three Little Birds’ and ‘One Love’. Parts of this album were recorded in London where Bob stayed for 14 months where he was exiled after his assassination attempt. The following month whilst playing football, Bob breaks one of the toes in a football accident in Paris, resulting in his diagnosis of melanoma under the nail of his right big toe.
1978
Bob holds the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston, bringing the leaders of Jamaica’s rival political factions to the stage to shake hands.
1980
Bob and The Wailers kick off the year with a concert in the newly-independent African nation of Zimbabwe. Marley collapses later in the year while jogging in New York’s Central Park. Doctors discover the cancer has spread to his lungs, liver and brain.
1981
On the 11th May 1981, Marley died in hospital in the US aged 36.
1994
On the 19th of January 1994, Bob Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In December 1999, his 1977 album “Exodus” was named Album of the Century by Time Magazine and his song “One Love” was designated Song of the Millennium by the BBC.
To this day Bob Marley’s music and legacy are still celebrated all over the world.
Bob Marley: One Love is now available digitally and physically on 4K Ultra HD™, 4K Ultra HD™ + Blu-ray™ Steelbook, Blu-Ray and DVD.
