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Without a doubt, Bob Marley was one of the most influential musicians of his time. His music was a force for change and helped to spread a message of peace and love. And although his life was tragically cut short, his legacy still continues to inspire people all over the world, up till this very day.
Now, as we venture into his inspiring life, I ask that you read not with your mind, but with your heart.
Read with stillness, compassion, open mindedness, sympathy; and I assure you that, you too, may gain a greater sense of enlightenment, awareness, and inspiration from his endeavors.
Well then...Shall we? Cue the music ;)
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Bill
"One love, one heart, one destiny."
— Bob Marley.
Ahhh Bob Marley, the legendary singer and songwriter from Jamaica, king of Reggae music; known for his unending love for nature, his music, and most importantly, his unique lifestyle; and one of the most prominent figures in the Rastafari movement. Yes, without a doubt, this man has and always woul be remembered as an icon.
In reality, his life has been documented by many as being extremely inspiring and influential. Yes, there have been several documentaries covering the Rastafarian, his beliefs on music and religion; his struggles and ultimately, his rise to greatness. From struggling with poverty to fighting cancer at a young age – here’s a little glimpse into his inspiring life.
His life
In 1945, in the city of Nine Miles, Jamaica, a baby was born; one whom would go on to become one of the most influential reggae musicians and poets. This baby was none other than Robert Nesta Marley.
Marley was born to a very poor and unprivileged family. He was the fourth out of 11 children. He was brought up in a very poor environment, where he never had enough to eat. His father Norval Marley was a white Jamaican who worked as a plantation overseer while his mother Cedella was a black Jamaican. In their ages, both of his parents were extremely uneducated. Norval Marley could only read the alphabet while Cedella could only read and write her name. They both worked on the plantation and earned a meager salary - one of the main reasons why Bob Marley was born into such a poor family.
He had to drop out of school at the age of 12 to support his family
Since Bob Marley’s family was poor, he had to find a job at the age of 12 to support his family. He had to drop out of school and find a full-time job. He used to work as a ‘sidewalk contractor’, which meant that he would cut and haul sugarcane all day long. He was paid around 25 cents per ton(not much, but enough to survive atleast).
Everyday, the boy would work very hard in the fields and would often come back home extremely exhausted and hungry. This continued until his father died and he and had to move to the Trenchtown of Kingston with his mother.
His early musical journey
In St. Ann, Marley's friend and fellow pupil Neville 'Bunny' O'Riley Livingston inspired Marley to learn the guitar. Marley, Livingston's father, and Marley's mother all lived together in Kingston for a time, as attested to in Christopher John Farley's Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley. Although he struggled financially, Marley found inspiration in the music around him. Because of Trench Town's local success, it was known as Jamaica's Motown. Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, and the Drifters were among Marley's favourite artists, along with American artists that drifted over the radio and through jukeboxes. Slowly and slowly, Marley
His first music album didn’t do well, which led to him struggling with depression
The first album that Marley released was named ‘Catch a Fire’. It was released in February 1973 and did quite well. ‘Catch a Fire’ was a mixture of reggae, rocksteady and soul. However, the next two albums that Marley released, ‘Burnin’ and ‘Natty Dread’ didn’t do as well. The albums were released in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The albums didn’t sell as expected and Marley had to deal with a lot of criticism. This led to a lot of stress and anxiety which led to depression in Marley. At the age of 26, Marley was diagnosed with depression. He later stated that he was very depressed at that time and was always looking for a ‘new buzz’.
However, after refusing to give in, he continued pushing forward, ultimately forming the legendary band, the wailers, with fellow friends Peter Tosh and Bunny wailer along with his wife, Rita. And after releasing their debut album(The Wailing Wailers) which contained one of their greatest singles "One love", they soon became an instant hit!
And he kept going stronger and stronger
Despite dealing with all the controversies and criticisms that followed him after his success, Bob Marley never capitulated but instead, found some new strength and determination. According to a lot of sources, this is when Marley took on the Rastafari way of life and religion. This is also the time when he changed his name from Robert Nesta Marley to a ‘more reggae’ sounding name – ‘Bob Marley’. He began writing about his newfound religion and his love for nature in his songs. This was also around the time he and the band released their legendary album called ‘Exodus’, which became one of his most popular albums. In addition, he also started the ‘Rastafari movement’(a new religion that developed in Jamaica) which is still going strong till today.
His death
At the end, and quite unfortunately actually, Bob Marley's death was mostly as a result of his ignorance and his fanatical belief.
Some time later on in 1977, Marley was playing football and at the end of the game, he noticed that something was wrong with his toe. Taking it to a local doctor, it was misdiagnosed as a soccer injury by. However, as it began to worsen, he took it the issue to yet another doctor, who performed a biopsy and determined that the lesion was melanoma - a form of skim cancer.
The suggested procedure to correct the melanoma, was to amputate Marley's toe completely; however due to his Rastafarian beliefs, Marley opted for excision surgery instead, in which the doctor cut out the nail and the surrounding tissue. He did so frankly stating that it went against his religious beliefs for any person to take out any part of their body.
Fast forward a couple years later, after not having anymore additional care, Marley ended up passing out during a morning jog in New York City, 1981. And after being taken to the hospital quickly, examinations showed that the melanoma had spread to his stomach, lungs, and brain.
Consequentially, he travelled to Germany to attempt alternative remedies like exercise, ozone injections, and vitamins after rejecting his doctor's recommended course of action. However, his condition soon worsened again that he was prompted to charter a flight back to Jamaica. And it was then during the flight, that the melanoma got so critical, an emergency stop had to be quickly made in Miami where, at the very end, Marley died at the age of 36.
Conclusion
Despite his untimely death, Marley and his music still continues to live in the hearts of many till this day. And from his very inspiring life, we learn a great many deal of important lessons and enlightenment.
Thank you Bob Marley!
THANKS FOR READING AND KEEP EXPLORING!