Bob Marley Remembered

Tomorrow marks the 27th anniversary of the death of the world acclaimed reggae legend, Robert Nester Marley, popularly known as Bob Marley who died at the age of 36. The reggae legend, born on February 6, 1945, was on an American tour when he collapsed on September 21, 1980 while jogging. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors discovered that he had developed a brain tumour. Although he wanted to die in Jamaica, he ended up on May 11,1981 in a Miami hospital after undergoing a controversial brain tumour treatment in Germany, which did not work for him. Bob Marley received a state burial in Jamaica, which combined elements of Ethiopian Orthodoxy and Rastafari. He was buried in a crypt near his birthplace, St. Ann. He was internationally mourned for, as thousands showed up at his May 21 funeral, to pay their last respects. In attendance were both the then Jamaican President and the leader of the opposition. Bob Marley now rests in a mausoleum at St. Ann. A month before his death, he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit. Being a visionary, he foresaw his fate, when he said in one of his songs: “One bright morning when my work is over I will fly away home.” Bob Marley’s music has continuously grown in popularity in the years since his death, earning him a mythical status in 20th century music history. He remains enormously popular all over the world, particularly in Africa. Marley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Time magazine chose Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century. Bob Marley’s musical career started in 1961, when he released his first song, Judge Not that did not do well. But this did not discourage him as he continued to pursue a career in music and in 1965, he formed a group called ‘The Wailers’ with Bunny Livingstone (later known as Bunny Wailer) and Peter McIntosh (later known as simply Peter Tosh). Bob acted as a front man for the group and wrote most of the group’s material. The trio released ‘Simmer Down,’ ‘Rule Them Rudie’ and ‘It Hurts To Be Alone,’ all of which were hits in Jamaica. His words have and will forever be immortalised in the lyrics in which he wrote his music.