Bob Marley's story

Having been considered as the worldwide icon of reggae, Bob Marley has been the pioneer for introducing and bringing Jamaican music to the surface. He had given a prominent contribution to bring reggae to be the center of attention of all people in the world. Therefore, it is undeniable to address him as one of the most distinguished artists of all time. Not only he was an extraordinary musician, but also a Rasta prophet, poetic songwriter, and revolutionary singer who was greatly respected. It was because he has created brilliant and intriguing tunes which deal with humanity, spirituality, brotherhood and peace for all mankind. Although he is no longer in this world, his music undoubtedly still remains eternal and echoes all over the universe.

Bob was born as Robert Nesta Marley on February 6, 1945 in a small village called Nine Miles, Saint Ann, Jamaica. He is the son of a middle-aged British Naval Officer named Norval Sinclair Marley and a native Jamaican teenager, Cedella Booker. Shortly after his birth, his father left the family to Kingston. However, he still gave financial support and occasionally returned to visit his son. Since it was difficult to earn a living, her mother decided to look for an employment in big city. She therefore took 14-years-old Bob along, moving to Trenchtown which located in the west of Kingston. It was in this city that he became friends with Neville “Bunny” Livingstone. Sharing the same interest in music, these two young boys took a class held by Joe Higgs, a famous Jamaican singer. During this time, both of them met and befriended a classmate named Peter MacIntosh or better known as Peter Tosh.



As Bob's desire to become a musician grew deeper, he started to search for any opportunities to achieve his goal. With the help from a young yet successful singer named Jimmy Cliff, he was able to meet Leslie Kong, Beverley's label owner, and auditioned for him in 1962. He then recorded two singles entitled “Judge Not” and “One More Cup of Coffee” which unfortunately turned out in poor result. Nevertheless, this failure did not make him dispirited. Together with Bunny and Peter, he formed a vocal group called Wailing Wailers in 1963. Previously being named “The Teenagers,” the group added 3 more personnel that were Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso, and Cherry Smith. Under the guidance of Joe Higgs and a drummer named Alvin Patterson, the group began their recording for the Studio One label owned by Clement “Coxsone” Dodd. Their first single, “Simmer Down,” surprisingly became a huge hit in Jamaica.

By January 1964, “Simmer Down” had reached number one at JBC Radio Chart and sold for over 80,000 copies. This success was followed by their other tracks, such as “It Hurts to be Alone” and “Rule the Roadie.” Nevertheless, the unity of the group was threatened for Junior, Beverly, and Cherry quitted in 1965. Bob then took the lead vocal position so that the group could still do the recording sessions for the label. Meanwhile, he finally married his long-term girlfriend, Rita Anderson on February 10, 1966, before leaving Wailing Wailers to pursue a better finance in America. He returned to Jamaica by November and reunited with Bunny as well as Peter. They afterwards agreed to rename the group as The Wailers and left Studio One label to establish their own. Using his savings, Bob established Wail 'N' Soul 'M Records while recording a single entitled “Bend Down Low” for his group. To their relief, the single was fairly successful, becoming one of the local hits.