Content
- Biography
- Profile
- Early Years
- Career
- Awards and nominations
- Personal Affairs
- Children
- Grandchildren
- Net Worth
Bob Marley Biography
Bob Marley (born Robert Nesta Marley; February 6, 1945–May 11, 1981) was a popular Jamaican reggae musician and songwriter.
He was known for spreading reggae music and was one of the first people to do so.
Bob Marley has been deemed a legend on the global music scene, as he continues to inspire newcomers to reggae music. Despite his passing, he remained a global music icon.
Bob Marley Profile
| Full Name: | Robert Nesta Marley |
| Also known as: | Bob Marley |
| Born: | 6 February 1945 (age 36 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Nine Mile, Jamaica |
| Died: | 11 May 1981, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida, United States |
| Nationality: | Jamaican |
| Height: | 1.7 m |
| Parents: | Norval Marley, Cedella Booker |
| Siblings: | Constance Marley, Richard Booker, Anthony Booker, Pearl Livingston |
| Wife • Spouse: | Rita Marley (m. 1966–1981) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | N/A |
| Children: | Ziggy Marley, Damian Marley, Rohan Marley, Stephen Marley, Cedella Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Julian Marley, Stephanie Marley, Sharon Marley, Robbie Marley, Karen Marley, Makeda Jahnesta |
| Profession: | Singer • Songwriter |
| Net Worth: | US$32 million |
Early Years
Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, on the property of his maternal grandfather in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, to Norval Marley and Cedella Booker.
At the time of his birth in Crowborough, East Sussex, England, Norval Marley resided in Clarendon Parish. His family claimed Jewish ancestry from Syria.
Norval Marley was a Royal Marines captain when he married the 18-year-old Afro-Jamaican Cedella Booker. He was a plantation supervisor.
Robert Nesta Marley is the full name of Bob Marley. In 1955, when Bob Marley was 10 years old, his father died at the age of 70 from a heart attack.
After marrying Edward Booker, an American civil servant, Bob Marley’s mother had four children: Constance Marley, Richard Booker, Anthony Booker, and Pearl Livingston.
Career
Bob Marley’s professional musical career began in 1963 when he and Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer formed the Teenagers, which later became the Wailers after multiple name changes.
The Wailing Wailers’ debut studio album, The Wailing Wailers, was released in 1965 with the track One Love, a rework of People Get Ready, which became a worldwide hit and established the group as a rising reggae star.
The Wailers changed their name to Bob Marley and the Wailers and released eleven more studio albums after signing with Island Records.
In 1974, after signing with the Island record label and releasing the albums “Catch a Fire” and “Burnin'”, the band began to gain international recognition. A year later, Bob Marley continued to perform under the Wailers’ moniker until the band disbanded. The 1974 album Natty Dread received positive reviews.
Following the worldwide success of Eric Clapton’s cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” Bob Marley’s international breakthrough occurred in 1975 with a live version of “No Woman, No Cry” from the Live! album. This album was his first success outside of Jamaica. This was followed by his breakthrough album in the United States, Rastaman Vibration (1976), which charted in the Top 50 on the Billboard Soul Charts.
A few months after the album’s release, Bob Marley escaped an assassination attempt at his home in Jamaica, prompting him to move to London permanently. Exodus (1977), which combined blues, soul, and British rock, was a commercial and critical success and was recorded and released during his time in London.
The 1984 release of Bob Marley’s posthumous album Legend became the best-selling reggae album of all time. He is one of the most successful musicians of all time, with over 75 million records sold worldwide.
Awards and nominations
Jamaica honored Bob Marley posthumously with the prestigious Order of Merit shortly after his passing. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was voted eleventh on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Among his additional achievements are the following:
A Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement
A star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood The Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame induction ceremony
Personal Affairs
Bob Marley was a lifelong member of the Rastafari movement, whose culture influenced the development of reggae music. He became a strong supporter of Rastafari and helped bring the music of Jamaica’s poor communities to the world stage.
As a Rastafarian, he believed that Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was God incarnate. Bob Marley was baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on November 4, 1980, shortly before his passing. He was given the name Berhane Selassie.
Bob Marley, a Rastafarian, supports the legalization of marijuana because he views it as a meditation aid. In 1968, he was arrested for smoking marijuana, but he continued to do so due to his religious beliefs.
Bob Marley married Rita Marley on February 10, 1966 in Kingston, Jamaica. His large family consisted of four children with his wife, Rita Marley, two adopted children from Rita Marley’s previous marriages, and several other women.
The official Bob Marley website mentions eleven children. Ziggy Marley, Damian Marley, Rohan Marley, Stephen Marley, Cedella Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Julian Marley, Stephanie Marley, Sharon Marley, Robbie Marley, Karen Marley, and Makeda Jahnesta are among his children.
Skip Marley, Selah Marley, Zion Marley, Bambaata Marley, John Nesta Marley, Joshua Omaru Marley, and Abraham Selassie are his grandchildren. Robert Nesta Marley, Nico Marley, Elijah Marley, Christian Marley, Zuri Marley, Eden Marley, Jo Mersa Marley, Justice Marley, Judah Victoria Marley, KJ Marley, Caveri Marley, and Soul-Rebel Marley are all members of the Marley family. Donisha Rita, Marley Minto, Zipporah Marley, and Shacia Marley Claire, Prendergast, Gideon Robert Nesta Marley, Sarah Marley, Isaiah Sion Maria Fialho Marley, Peter-Shane Marley, Stephen Marley Jr., Lailah Marley, Jeremiah Marley, Matthew Marley, Summer Marley, Sasha Marley, Nyah Marley, Mystic Marley, and Binghi Marley.
In 1977, Bob Marley was diagnosed with cancer. In 1981, he lost his right due to a terrible disease and died.
Children
- Ziggy Marley
- Damian Marley
- Rohan Marley
- Stephen Marley
- Cedella Marley
- Ky-Mani Marley
- Julian Marley
- Stephanie Marley
- Sharon Marley
- Robbie Marley
- Karen Marley
- Makeda Jahnesta
Grandchildren
- Skip Marley
- Selah Marley
- Zion Marley
- Bambaata Marley
- John Nesta Marley
- Joshua Omaru Marley
- Abraham Selassie Robert Nesta Marley
- Nico Marley, Elijah Marley
- Christian Marley
- Zuri Marley
- Eden Marley
- Jo Mersa Marley
- Justice Marley
- Judah Victoria Marley
- KJ Marley
- Caveri Marley
- Soul-Rebel Marley Minto
- Zipporah Marley
- Shacia Marley
- Donisha Rita Claire Prendergast
- Gideon Robert Nesta Marley
- Sarah Marley
- Isaiah Sion Robert Nesta Marley
- Yohan Marley
- Inglemar Marley
- Bengimen Marley
- Maria Fialho Marley
- Peter-Shane Marley
- Stephen Marley Jr.
- Lailah Marley
- Jeremiah Marley
- Matthew Marley
- Summer Marley
- Sasha Marley
- Nyah Marley
- Mystic Marley
- Binghi Marley
Bob Marley Net Worth
He was among the most prosperous musicians of his time. Before his death, Bob Marley amassed an estimated net worth of $32 million.