Happy birthday to the Rastafarian reggae superstar Bob Marley!
Few musicians remain as beloved and revered as the late Bob Marley, who would have turned 74 years old today. So it’s no surprise that fans all around the world will be paying tribute to the reggae legend on the anniversary of his birth.
He spoke about human rights and wrote about the soaring unemployment, rationed food supplies and pervasive political violence he saw in Jamaica, which transformed him into an influential cultural icon. Here are some facts about the singer that may surprise you:
- Marley was named Nesta Robert Marley but a Jamaican passport officer mistakenly reversed his first and middle name; hence, his official name became Robert Nesta Marley.
- Though raised as a Catholic, Marley became interested in Rastafari beliefs in the 1960s. After returning to Jamaica, Marley formally converted to Rastafari and began to grow dreadlocks, not as a fashion trend but because of religious beliefs.
- In 1972, Marley signed a contract with CBS Records, London, and went on his first tour with American soul singer Johnny Nash. It was during this tour that Marley got acquainted with the staff members of Island Records, one of the largest record producers in the world that gave him worldwide recognition.
- Bob Marley is an inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His song ‘One Love’ was named the song of the millennium by BBC.
- Besides music, football played a major role throughout his life. Marley was passionate about football and surrounded himself with people from the sport. In the 1970s he made the Jamaican international footballer Allan ‘Skill’ Cole his tour manager.
- His final words to his son Ziggy were ‘Money can’t buy life’
- He was buried in Jamaica along with a soccer ball, his Gibson Les Paul guitar, and a bud of marijuana.
- In November 2014, Forbes Magazine listed Marley as fifth on the list of the highest-earning dead celebrities.
2. No Woman, No Cry
3. Three Little Birds
4. Buffalo Soldier
5. Redemption Song