Bob Marley Recordings

Bob Marley Performances

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Born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, Bob Marley helped introduce reggae music to the world and remains one of the genre's most beloved artists to this day. One of his childhood friends in St. Ann was Neville Livingston, whose nickname was Bunny. Attending the same school, the two shared a love of music. Bunny inspired Marley to learn to play the guitar.

Arriving in Kingston in the late 1950s, Marley lived in Trench Town, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods. He struggled in poverty, but he found inspiration in the music around him. Sounds from the United States also drifted in over the radio and through jukeboxes.

Marley and Bunny devoted much of their time to music. Under the guidance of Joe Higgs, Marley worked on improving his singing abilities. He met another student of Higgs, Peter McIntosh, who later shortened his name to Peter Tosh.

A local record producer, Leslie Kong, liked Marley's vocals and had him record a few singles, the first of which was "Judge Not," released in 1962. While he did not fare well as a solo artist, Marley found success joining forces with his friends. In 1963, Marley, Bunny Livingston, who was now calling himself Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh formed the Wailers. Their first single, "Simmer Down," went to the top of the Jamaican charts in January 1964.

The group became quite popular in Jamaica, but they had difficulty making it financially. The Wailers worked with producer Lee Perry during this era; some of their successful songs together were "Trench Town Rock," "Soul Rebel" and "Four Hundred Years."

The Wailers got their big break in 1972 when they landed a contract with Island Records. For the first time, the group hit the studios to record a full album. The result was the critically acclaimed Catch a Fire. To support the record, the Wailers toured Britain and the United States in 1973. That same year, the group released their second full album, Burnin', featuring the hit song "I Shot the Sheriff." Rock legend Eric Clapton released a cover of the song in 1974, and it became a No. 1 hit in the United States.

Before releasing their next album, 1975's Natty Dread, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the group to pursue solo careers.

For their next tour, the Wailers performed with I-Threes, a group of back-up singers featuring Bob Marley's wife, Rita. Now called Bob Marley & The Wailers, the group toured extensively and helped increase reggae's popularity around the world. They scored their first Top 40 hit in England with "No Woman, No Cry" in 1975.

Already a much-admired star in his native Jamaica, Marley was on his way to becoming an international music icon. He made the U.S. music charts with the album Rastaman Vibration in 1976.

Living in London, England, Marley went to work on Exodus, which was released in 1977. The album stayed on the charts for more than a year. Today, Exodus is considered to be one of the best albums ever made.

Marley had a health scare in 1977. He sought treatment in July of that year on a toe he had injured. After discovering cancerous cells in his toe, doctors suggested amputation. Marley refused to have the surgery, however, because his religious beliefs prohibited amputation.

While working on Exodus, Marley and the Wailers recorded songs that were later released on the album Kaya (1978). With love as its theme, the work featured two hits: "Satisfy My Soul" and "Is This Love."

His next album, Survival (1979), was seen as a call for both greater unity and an end to oppression on the African continent. In 1980, Bob Marley & The Wailers played an official independence ceremony for the new nation of Zimbabwe.

His next album, Uprising (1980) featured "Could You Be Loved" and "Redemption Song." Known for its poetic lyrics and social and political importance, "Redemption Song" showed Marley's talents as a songwriter.

On tour to support the album, Bob Marley & The Wailers traveled throughout Europe, playing in front of large crowds. They also planned a series of concerts in the United States, but the group would play only three concerts there before Marley became ill. The cancer discovered earlier in his toe had spread throughout his body. Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981.

Shortly before his death, Marley had received the Order of Merit from the Jamaican government. He had also been awarded the Medal of Peace from the United Nations in 1980.

Marley achieved several great accomplishments during his lifetime, including serving as a world ambassador for reggae music, earning induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, and selling more than 20 million records.

Decades after his passing, Marley's music remains widely acclaimed.