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Bob Marley - Music

Bob Marley - Music: Encyclopedia II - Bob Marley - Music

Bob Marley - Early career. Marley started his musical experimentation in ska and gravitated towards reggae as the music evolved, playing, teaching and singing for a long period in the 1970s and 1980s. Marley's early music career was with the ska, rocksteady and reggae group "The Wailers", which included two other celebrated reggae musicians, Bunny Livingston (Bunny Wailer) and Peter McIntosh (Peter Tosh), both who later left the group and went on to become successful solo artists. After The Wailers broke u ...

Bob Marley, Bob Marley - Music, Bob Marley - Early career, Bob Marley - Shot in election violence, Bob Marley - Later career, Bob Marley - Battle with cancer, Bob Marley - Diagnosis, Bob Marley - Collapse and treatment, Bob Marley - Death, Bob Marley - Legacy, Bob Marley - Posthumous reputation, Bob Marley - Controversy over burial place, Bob Marley - Awards and honors, Bob Marley - Discography, Bob Marley - Studio One recordings, Bob Marley - Beverly's recordings, Bob Marley - Upsetter recordings marketed by Trojan Records, Bob Marley - Island/Tuff Gong, Bob Marley - Heartbeat Records – Compilations of material recorded at Studio One 1963–1966, Bob Marley - JAD/Universal Records – Compilations of material recorded 1966–1971, Bob Marley - Official albums containing remixes, Bob Marley - Sound samples

Bob Marley, Bob Marley - Awards and honors, Bob Marley - Battle with cancer, Bob Marley - Beverly's recordings, Bob Marley - Collapse and treatment, Bob Marley - Controversy over burial place, Bob Marley - Death, Bob Marley - Diagnosis, Bob Marley - Discography, Bob Marley - Early career, Bob Marley - Heartbeat Records – Compilations of material recorded at Studio One 1963–1966, Bob Marley - Island/Tuff Gong, Bob Marley - JAD/Universal Records – Compilations of material recorded 1966–1971, Bob Marley - Later career, Bob Marley - Legacy, Bob Marley - Music, Bob Marley - Official albums containing remixes, Bob Marley - Posthumous reputation, Bob Marley - Shot in election violence, Bob Marley - Sound samples, Bob Marley - Studio One recordings, Bob Marley - Upsetter recordings marketed by Trojan Records, List of Rastafarians, List of reggae musicians, List of best selling music artists, List of number-one dance hits (United States), List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart, Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Moments that Changed Rock and Roll, List of notable brain tumor patients

Bob Marley: Encyclopedia II - Bob Marley - Music

Bob Marley - Music

Bob Marley - Early career

Marley started his musical experimentation in ska and gravitated towards reggae as the music evolved, playing, teaching and singing for a long period in the 1970s and 1980s. Marley's early music career was with the ska, rocksteady and reggae group "The Wailers", which included two other celebrated reggae musicians, Bunny Livingston (Bunny Wailer) and Peter McIntosh (Peter Tosh), both who later left the group and went on to become successful solo artists. After The Wailers broke up in 1974, Marley went on with "Bob Marley & The Wailers" with the I Threes as backing vocalists. Today, Bob Marley, The Wailers, and Bob Marley & the Wailers are often used to refer to recordings actually made by separate entities.

Much of Marley's early work was produced by Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. That relationship later deteriorated due to financial pressure, and in the early 1970s he produced what is believed by many to be his finest work with Lee "Scratch" Perry. This pair also split apart, this time over the assignment of recording rights. They did work together again in London, though, and remained friends until Marley's death.

Marley's work was largely responsible for the mainstream cultural acceptance of reggae music outside of Jamaica. He signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records label in 1971, at the time a highly influential and innovative label. Island Records boasted a retinue of successful and diverse artists including Free, John Martyn and Nick Drake. Though many people believe that Blackwell interfered with what Marley wanted to do with his own music, others think that the knowledge this producer brought to the scene was critical in Marley's wish to bring reggae to the world. It was his 1975 hit No Woman, No Cry that first gained him fame on a wider level.

Bob Marley - Shot in election violence

In 1976, just two days before a scheduled free concert that Marley and Jamaican PM Michael Manley had organized in the run up to the general election, Marley, his wife Rita, and manager Don Taylor, were shot inside the star's 56 Hope Road home. Marley received minor injuries in the arm and chest. Don Taylor took most of the bullets in his legs and torso as he accidentally walked in the line of fire. He was in a serious condition after he was rushed to the hospital, but fully recovered later. Rita also recovered from the shot to the head she received that night.

It is generally believed that the shooting was politically motivated, due to Jamaican politics being somewhat violent at the time, especially so close to election day. The concert was seen as being in support of the progressive prime minister of Jamaica, Michael Manley. It is widely held that he was shot by supporters of the conservative political party of Jamaica, the Jamaica Labour Party. However, there is little evidence to support this. Though the police never caught the gunmen, Marley devotees claimed to have later "caught up" with them on the streets of Kingston.

Bob Marley - Later career

Rastaman Vibration made big waves in the US charts on its release. The success got reggae and Marley more mileage besides a recognition for his peace efforts. "War" brought the message of Haile Selassie loud and clear to the young generation.

Bob Marley left Jamaica at the end of 1976, and went to England, where he recorded both Exodus and Kaya. Survival followed in 1979. In early 1980 he was invited to perform at the Zimbabwe Independence Day celebrations on April 17, 1980. His last concert was held at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh on September 23, 1980.