Singer songwriter guitarist Bob Marley, born Robert Nesta Marley in St. Ann, Jamaica Feb. 6, 1945 d. May 11, 1981 aged 36 of cancer. Bob Marley took Reggae out of Jamaica and disseminated it to the world.
In 1964, Marley formed his vocal group the Wailers (then the Wailin' Wailers or the Wailin' Rudeboys), which included Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, both of whom went on to enjoy solo careers.
Their first hit, Simmer Down, was followed by a string of Caribbean chart toppers, and by 1972 the group had recorded four Jamaican albums. In 1967, Marley converted to the rastafarian religion, which became a dominant theme in his music.
Marley became a songwriter for Johnny Nash in 1972, giving him the first reggae flavored international hit with Stir It Up. Bob Marley and the Wailers critically acclaimed American debut album Catch a Fire, and its follow up, Burnin' which contained the subsequent hits Get Up, Stand Up and I Shot the Sheriff (popularized by Eric Clapton), were both released in 1973. Later albums, including Natty Dread (1975), Rastaman Vibration (1976), and Uprising (1981), won Marley international audiences.
His work influenced countless reggae and pop artists in the United States and Britain, where reggae remains especially popular.
