Bob Marley Biography

Bob Marley’s name resounds in the minds of many, every time the word “reggae” is mentioned. This famous singer is known for his touching performances, starting initially as a part of the band ‘The Wailers’.

The band, consisting of famous artistes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and Junior Braithwaite, amongst others, produced some of the finest albums of their times. They are still known for hits like ‘Simmer Down’, ‘Rude Boy’, as well as cult albums like ‘Catch a Fire’, and ‘Soul Revolution’.

Once the band members separated and went their own ways, the famous singer found new artistes to collaborate with and continued releasing his albums as ‘Bob Marley and The Wailers’. His first album, under this name, was ‘Live!’ after which he went on to produce records like ‘Rastaman Vibration’, ‘Kaya’, ‘Exodus’, and ‘Babylon by Bus’.

His album, ‘Rastaman Vibration’ was a record-breaking one, sealing his reputation as a peace-loving humanitarian. This singer was known for his staunch faith in the ‘Rastafari Movement’, which was reflected in the tracks he produced. After his death, caused by malignant melanoma, this distinguished personality has been showered with several prestigious honours, including the ‘Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award’. Go on and explore more about his life and works.

Career

  • It was in 1962, that Marley first released his singles, ‘Do You Still Love Me?’, ‘Judge Not’, ‘Terror’, and ‘One Cup of Coffee’, with the help of recording artist Leslie Kong.
  • The following year, the music band changed its name several times, finally to ‘The Wailers’. It was initially ‘The Teenagers’, then ‘The Wailing Rudeboys’, and after that ‘The Wailing Wailers’. It was when they became ‘The Wailers’, that record company owner, Coxsone Dodd, took notice of them.
  • In 1964, ‘The Wailers’ produced their debut track, ‘Simmer Down’, under Coxsone’s banner. The next year, the reggae band released their first album, ‘The Wailing Wailers’, with the successful single, ‘Rude Boy’.
  • In 1966, however, lead artistes, Junior Braithwaite and Beverley Kelso, left the band to pursue their solo careers.
  • ‘The Wailers’ released their first international album, ‘Soul Rebels’ in 1970, with the help of recording artist, Lee “Scratch” Perry. The album was produced by ‘Trojan Records’ in the United Kingdom, and it became highly successful, being released later on several occasions by different music companies.
  • In 1971, the band released two popular albums, ‘Soul Revolution’, and ‘The Best of the Wailers’. The latter ironically contained new tracks, and was not a collection of songs produced earlier.
  • The next year, Marley signed a contract with London-based ‘CBS Records’, and collaborated with American musician Johnny Nash for a tour of UK. During the same time, they got acquainted to Chris Blackwell, owner of ‘Island Records’.
  • Source: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/robert-nesta-marley-891.php