Bob Marley – Biography, Career, Net Worth

Robert Nesta Marley OM was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist who died on May 11th, 1981. He was considered one of the pioneers of reggae, blending reggae, ska, and rocksteady and was recognized for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. Marley made Jamaican music more widely known and established himself as a worldwide cultural icon. He gained recognition as a symbol of Rastafarianism, and his music was filled with a sense of spirituality.

Biography

Norval Sinclair Marley and Cedella Malcolm welcomed Robert Nesta Marley into the world on February 6, 1945, on the farm of Robert’s maternal grandfather at Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

Nesta Robert Marley may be Bob Marley’s birth name according to some sources, but his full name is Robert Nesta Marley. Marley’s first and middle names were supposedly reversed by a Jamaican passport official when he was young because Nesta sounded like a girl’s name, according to legend. Although Norval, his father, was financially responsible for his wife and child, he rarely saw them due to his frequent absences. Stepney Primary and Junior High School are in the Saint Ann catchment area where Bob Marley was a student.

Personal Life

Bob Marley’s marriage to Alpharita Constantia “Rita” Anderson in Kingston, Jamaica took place on February 10, 1966. Marley’s children included four born to him by his wife, Rita, and two adopted from Rita’s past relationships, as well as numerous others he fathered with other women. Eleven children are mentioned on the official Bob Marley website.

Sharon, Cedella, David Ziggy, Stephen, Robert Robbie, Rohan, Karen Marley, Stephanie Marley, Julian, Ky-Mani, Damian.

Died

The Skin Cancer Foundation reported that Marley succumbed to a rare form of skin cancer called acral lentiginous melanoma, which had spread throughout his body over several years and resulted in his death. A lesion under the big toe on his right foot was the first time he was diagnosed in July 1977. Marley initially believed it was a soccer injury, but after consulting a second doctor who biopsied the spot, they discovered that it was cancer.

Marley’s body was being overtaken by cancer by September 1980. During a workout in Central Park, he collapsed after performing two shows at Madison Square Garden. His cancer had spread to his brain, lungs, and other organs, so he was taken to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for treatment.

Marley received treatment in Germany in the months leading up to his death. After discovering his cancer was terminal, he chose to return home to Jamaica to live out the remainder of his life. Marley’s illness on the flight caused him to fail to make it back home. The plane reached Miami and he was transported to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, where he passed away a few days later. Bob Marley passed away on May 11, 1981.

Career

In 1963, Marley began his professional musical career after forming the Teenagers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who later changed their name several times. The Wailing Wailers’ debut studio album, The Wailing Wailers, was released in 1965 and featured the track “One Love,” a rearrangement of “People Get Ready,” which became a worldwide hit and established the group as a rising reggae star. After signing with Island Records, the Wailers produced eleven additional studio albums and rebranded themselves as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Marley converted to Rastafari, the group began using rhythmic song composition and used louder instrumentation and vocals.

In 1971, Marley moved to London and the Wailers released The Best of The Wailers, which was a symbol of their musical transition. In 1973, the band began to gain international prominence after signing with Island Records and touring for Catch a Fire and Burnin’. Marley carried on performing with the Wailers until they disbanded a year later.

Legend, a reggae album published in 1984, became the most successful reggae album of all time. Marley has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the most successful musicians ever.

An Order of Merit was posthumously awarded to him by Jamaica shortly after his death. He was chosen to be a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. No. 11 was his position on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In addition, he has received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame.

Legend, a reggae album published in 1984, became the most successful reggae album of all time. Marley has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the most successful musicians ever.

An Order of Merit was posthumously awarded to him by Jamaica shortly after his death. He was chosen to be a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. No. 11 was his position on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In addition, he has received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame.

Songs

• Africa Unite
• Natural Mystic
• Could You Be Loved
• Is This Love
• Iron Lion Zion
• Jamming
• I Shot the Sheriff
• Waiting in Vain
• Turn Your Lights Down Low
• No Woman No Cry
• Buffalo Soldier
• One Love
• Is This Love
• Forever Loving Jah
• Zion Train
• War
• Satisfy My Soul
• Positive Vibration
• So Much Trouble in the World

Albums

• The Wailing Wailers (1965).
• Soul Rebel (1970).
• Soul Revolution Part II (1971).
• The Best of the Wailers (1971).
• Catch a Fire (1973).
• Burnin (1973).
• Natty Dream (1974).
• Exodus (1977).
• Kaya (1978).
• Survival (1979).
• Uprising (1980).

Net Worth

Bob Marley’s net worth at the time of his death in 1981 was $11.5 million, which was how much he earned from his career as a reggae singer, songwriter, and musician in Jamaica. Marley’s record sales have exceeded 75 million copies worldwide, making him one of the most popular artists of all time. In 1981, he died from acral lentiginous melanoma.

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