Eurocom 2011 10C Alexandros Vassiliadis

Biography

Bob Marley

Robert Nesta Marley

Outline:

1. Childhood and Youth

2. Musical career

3. Family

4. Religion

5. Message of peace and love

6. Death

7. Legacy

Eurocom 2011 10C Alexandros Vassiliadis

Childhood and Youth

Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley was born on 6th of February, 1945 in the Northwest of Jamaica. His white father Normal Sinclair Marley was an 50 years old captain in the Royal Marines and came from Great Britain. He married a dark skinned woman, Cedella Booker, Robert Nesta Marleys Mother. When Bob Marley was born in 1945, his mother was only 18 years old. The marriage of the two was a big scandal because of the big age difference. So his father left the Marines.When Bob Marley was 10 years old, his father died because of a heart attack, in the age of 60 years..His mother was very religious and some years later, she managed a church choir in Kingston.In the first years of his live he lived in the little village Rhoden Hall,later he went with his mother to the capital city of Jamaica, Kingston, because his mother thought that she would have better chances to find a job there.When Bob Marley was 16. years old he left school to work as a mechanic.Some years later he broke up with this kind of work to live his dream and be a musician.

Bob Marleys home as childran:

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Musical career

When Bob Marley was a teenager he met somebody called Jimmy.Jimmy had made music since he was 14 years old. He knew a music producer called Leslie Kong who was very interested in Bob Marleys music and so they produced his first Single “Judge Not”.In 1962 they produced the last single together, called “One More Cup Of Coffee”.The song was a great success and it was sold very good. Bob Marley decided now to leave Leslie Kong to be independent.One year later, in 1963, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith founded the group “The Teenagers”. They changed the name of the group a few times, first to “The Wailing Rudeboys", then to "The Wailing Wailers", and finally to "The Wailers".In 1966 Kelso, Smith, and Braithwaite left the group, so “The Wailers” became only a trio.The first songs of “The Wailers” had the style of jamaican folk music and ska.Later they prefered a slower beat and the new music style Reggae was invented.This new art of music fascinated the people and Bob Marley became a rich man.So he bought a car and could renovate his house.In 1974 the other two left the group, so this was the end of “The Wailers”.Bob Malrey was the first global superstar, who did not come from America or Europe.

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Family

On 11th of February, 1966, Bob Marley married his cuban teenage girlfriend Rita Anderson. Just one day after they marriage he visited his mother in USA and lived there to for a while with his wife.They had five children called Cedella, David, Stephen,Stephanie and Sharon who was adopted.Official Bob Marley have 12 children. Because of his religion Bob Marley didnt want to have safety sex so he had many children.A lot of people in his native county said that he had at least 20 children.

Religion

Religion was very important for Bob Marley, because it was his source for ideas and his power. His religion was named Rastafarian, shortly called Rasta.The Rastafaris believe in our Bibel, meanly the old Testament.Rastafari is a political-religious movement that was founded in the 20th century in Jamaica. The origin of this movement is the “Back to Africa movement” in the thirties. This movement fights against the suppression of the black people.

Characteristic of the Rastas:

-Dreadlocks-Rasta Hats -Most of them are vegetarian or don't eat pork.-Ethiopian flag (green, yellow, red)-Ganja (Marihuana),the Rastafari believe in this way to be closer to God.

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Message of peace and love

Bob Marlay sang in his songs mostly about the unfairness in our system.He sang of racial equality, of peace on earth and a life without suffering.In his songs he speaks to the black people and says: "Fight for your rights!Marley's revolutionary songs were never politically or socially critical, but always religious and spiritual.

Death

In May 1980, Bob was jogging after a concert in the Centeral Park and collapse. The doctor diagnosed a brain tumor in the final stage and gave himonly 3 months left. After his last concert, he made a chemotherapy in the clinic Sonnenklinik in Bavaria. All his hairs droped out it was unbearable for him as a rasta. In 8. Mai he decide to die in Jamaica but on the plane he was feelining to low, so they brought him to the hospital. He died on 05.11.1981 in Miami.

Legacy

His wife Rita inherited $ 30 million. But later it cames to inheritance litigations between producers, record companies, the family and the band.But the most important legacy from Bob Marley were his songs.The Time magazine choose Bob Marley and the Wailers album 'Exodus' to the greatest album in this century.