Who is Bob Marley

Bob Marley was a hero figure, in the classic mythological sense. His departure from this planet came at a point when his vision of One World, One Love -- inspired by his belief in Rastafari -- was beginning to be heard and felt. The last Bob Marley and the Wailers tour in 1980 attracted the largest audiences at that time for any musical act in Europe.

Bob's story is that of an archetype, which is why it continues to have such a powerful and ever-growing resonance: it embodies political repression, metaphysical and artistic insights, gangland warfare and various periods of mystical wilderness. And his audience continues to widen: to westerners Bob's apocalyptic truths prove inspirational and life-changing; in the Third World his impact goes much further. Not just among Jamaicans, but also the Hopi Indians of New Mexico and the Maoris of New Zealand, in Indonesia and India, and especially in those parts of West Africa from wihch slaves were plucked and taken to the New World, Bob is seen as a redeemer figure returning to lead this

In the clear Jamaican sunlight you can pick out the component parts of which the myth of Bob Marley is comprised: the sadness, the love, the understanding, the Godgiven talent. Those are facts. And although it is sometimes said that there are no facts in Jamaica, there is one more thing of which we can be certain: Bob Marley never wrote a bad song. He left behind the most remarkable body of recorded work. "The reservoir of music he has left behind is like an encyclopedia," says Judy Mowatt of the I-Threes. "When you need to refer to a certain situation or crisis, there will always be a Bob Marley song that will relate to it. Bob was a musical prophet."

The tiny Third World country of Jamaica has produced an artist who has transcended all categories, classes, and creeds through a combination of innate modesty and profound wisdom. Bob Marley, the Natural Mystic, may yet prove to be the most significant musical artist of the twentieth century.

www.bobmarley.com

Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1949, in Nine Miles, Saint Ann, Jamaica, to Norval Marley and Cedella Booker. His father was a Jamaican of English descent. His mother was a black teenager. The couple planned to get married but before the marriage Norval told Cedella that he had to leave Kingston due to illness. He died in 1955, seeing his son only once (it was later suspected that Norval passed on a certain hereditary form of cancer to Bob, which eventually killed him).

Bob Marley started his career with the Wailers, a group he formed with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston in 1963. He married Rita Marley in February 1966, and it was she who introduced him to the Rastafari movement. In 1969 Bob, Tosh and Livingston fully embraced the Rastafari movement, which would have a great influence on Marley's music in particular and on reggae music in general.

The Wailers collaborated with Lee Scratch Perry, resulting in some of the Wailers' finest tracks including "Soul Rebel", "Duppy Conquerer", "400 Years" and "Small Axe". This collaboration ended bitterly, however. The Wailers found out that Perry, thinking the records were his, sold them in England without their consent. This, however, brought the Wailers' music to the attention of Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records.

Blackwell immediately signed the Wailers and produced their first album, "Catch a Fire". This was followed by "Burnin'", featuring tracks as "Get Up Stand Up" and "I Shot the Sheriff" (Eric Clapton's cover of that song reached #1 in the US).

In 1974 Tosh and Livingston left the Wailers to start solo careers. Marley later formed the band "Bob Marley and the Wailers", with his wife Rita as one of three backup singers called the I-trees. This period saw the release of some groundbreaking albums, such as "Natty Dread", "Rastaman Vibration".

In 1976, during a period of spiraling political violence in Jamaica, an attempt was made on Marley's life, and he left for England, and lived in self-exile for around two years. In England "Exodus" was produced, and it remained on the British charts for 56 straight weeks. This was followed by another successful album, "Kaya". These successes introduced reggae music to the western world for the first time, and established the beginning of Marley's international status.

In 1977 Marley had himself checked by a doctor when a wound in his big toe would not heal completely, and more tests revealed that he had a form of skin cancer called malignant melanoma. This is usually contracted by Europeans and can be hereditary.

It is widely believed, therefore, that Bob inherited the disease from his father, who also apparently suffered from it. He refused to have his toe amputated as his doctors recommended, claiming it contradicted his Rastafarian beliefs, although some claim that the main reason behind his refusal was the possible negative impact on his dancing skills.

The cancer was kept secret from the general public, and Bob continued working. Returning to Jamaica in 1978, he continued work and released "Survival" in 1979, followed by a successful European tour. In 1980 he participated at the independence ceremony of Zimbabwe, being the only foreign artist invited.

It was a time for great success for Marley, and he started an American tour to reach blacks in the US. He played two shows at Madison Square Garden, but collapsed while jogging in NYC's Central Park on September 21, 1980. The cancer he ignored earlier had finally caught up with him, and it had spread to his brain, lungs and stomach. Bob Marley died in a Miami hospital on May 11, 1981. He was only 36 years old.

Bob Marley 2009 Wall Calendar
Bob Marley Wall Calendar: Since Bob Marley's death in 1980, his albums have continued to sell in substantial numbers; he popularized reggae and mesmerized thousands with his message of peace-a message that he continues to carry out.


Bob Marley 2009 Wall Calendar
Bob Marley Wall Calendar: Bob Marley created some of the most exciting music of all time and used his visibility as a reggae star to advocate peace, human rights, and the end of oppression. Recipient of the United Nations Medal for Peace, Marley stressed self-determination over victim-hood and interracial harmony rather than violence in the name of change. Today Marley's joyous music continues to spread his message of peace and love worldwide. This calendar pays tribute to this legendary figure with twelve memorable photographs and quotations. Birthdays, biographical notes, and milestones in reggae history are noted throughout.


Bob Marley 2009 Mini Wall Calendar
Bob Marley Mini Wall Calendar: From humble Jamaican beginnings, Bob Marley rose to the heights of stardom, giving the world brilliant and evocative music that remains timeless and universal today. This small calendar features a dozen photographs of Marley that help keep his hugely inspiring message alive.


Reggae Music 2009 Wall Calendar
Reggae Music Wall Calendar: This new wall calendar for 2009 features a dozen color illustrations and montages of artwork related to reggae music.

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This is an officially licensed Bob Marley t-shirt in which these Bob Marley shirts have been screen printed with the Bob Marley image on front. These Bob Marley t-shirts are usually made from heavyweight preshrunk 6oz. cotton tee shirt blanks.


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Bob Marley Burnin Hoodie
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Bob Marley Love Junior Hoodie
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Bob Marley Face Zippo Lighter


Bob Marley Burnin Zippo Lighter


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