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Joe Higgs #1
Joseph Higgs held great influence in Marley's rise to success. He was a Rastafarian in Kingston who encouraged and thought young musicians by offering free music coaching at his home. Later, he joined Bob, becoming Bunny Livingston's replacement in the 1973 US tour. Joe Higgs was hugely influential in the birth of ska, rock steady and reggae forms of Jamaican music, and was widely respected as a composer, arranger, and performer, but perhaps most of all as a teacher. -
Joe Higgs #2
Among those he tutored were Bob Marley, Derrick Harriott, Peter Tosh, Bob Andy, the Wailing Souls and Bunny Wailer. One of the first recording artists in Jamaica, his debut single, made with partner Roy Wilson, was "Oh Manny Oh," which sold over 50,000 copies in Jamaica in 1960.
(my great uncle) -
When he was born
Robert-Bob Nesta Marley was born in Jamaica in Nine Miles within the Parish of St.Ann. -
Friends #2 (date & month estimated)
Franklyn Dennis was also a childhood friend of Marley, they met when when they were about 10/11 years old. In their spair time they would always read comics,play marble games, ride their skate boards (made thier own skate boards) , play soccer and cricket. What they would do for music was just to sing together and write songs together.
(Franklyn Dennis is my grandpa) -
How the Band Started
Shortly after Beverly Studios, Bob left and formed the Wailing Wailers in 1962 with Bunny Livingstone, Peter McIntosh, Junior Braithwaite as lead vocals, and Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith as back up vocals. Bob explained, "In those days we were always crying". At the end of 1963, the Coxsone Dodd label released the Wailing Wailers' first single "Simmer Down" which was written in response to the disturbances in the ghettos between the Rastas and the authorities telling everyone just to "cool it" -
Friends #1 (day & month estimated)
Bob Marley and his childhood friend Neville Livingston (Bunny Wailer) began attending vocal classes held by Trench Town resident Joe Higgs, a successful singer who mentored many young singers in the principles of rhythm, harmony and melody. In his Trench Town yard, Higgs introduced Bob and Bunny to Peter Tosh and Bob Marley and the Wailers legend was born. The trio became good friends and formed the vocal group “The Wailing Wailers”; Higgs played a pivotal role in guiding their musical direction -
Family #1
Bob married Alpharita Anderson whom he had been dating for almost a year. Alpharita, better known as Rita, was a nurse as well as a singer herself. She later would form the I-Three, which became the back up group for the Wailers. The day after their wedding, Bob left to visit his mother in America for a few months. Together Bob and Rita had their children Sharon, Ziggy, Cedella, Steven and Damian who are all muscially talented, and make up the Melody Makers. -
Family #2
Bob Marley’s mother was an 18 year old Jamaican woman, Cedella Booker. Bob's father was a 50 year old English captain, Norval Sinclair Marley, who was stationed in Jamaica. Bob spent his early years with his mother in St. Ann, and then during his teens they moved to Kingston, the capitol of Jamaica. Settling in Trench Town, a shanty town with in Kingston, Bob experienced a childhood filled with poverty and violence. -
His Illness #1 ( day & month estimated)
In July 1977, Marley was found to have a type of malignant melanoma (infection) under the nail of one of his toes. Marley turned down doctors' advice to have his toe amputated (removed), because of his religious beliefs. Ignoring his illness, he continued touring and was in the process of scheduling a world tour in 1980. Bob Marley played two shows at Madison Square Garden, but collapsed while jogging in NYC's Central Park on September 21, 1980. -
His Illness #2 (day & month estimated)
While flying home from Germany to Jamaica, Marley's vital functions worsened. After landing in Miami, Florida, he was taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention. The cancer diagnosed earlier had spread to his brain, lungs and stomach. The spread of melanoma to his lungs and brain caused his death. He was only 36 years old. -
Bob Marley’s Music (day & month estimated)
Returning to Jamaica in 1978, he continued work and released "Survival" in 1979 which was followed by a successful European tour. In 1980 he was the only foreign artist to participate in the independence ceremony of Zimbabwe. It was a time of great success for Marley, and he started an American tour to reach blacks in the US. -
His Hobbies (day & month estimated)
Bob Marley simply loved playing football (soccer). About every single day when on tour or in the recording studio he would love to watch soccer on TV. His favourite player was Brazilian superstar Pele. -
When Uprising was released
The album Uprising was released in May 1980 (produced by Chris Blackwell), on which "Redemption Song" is only considered to be about Marley coming to understand his mortality. The band completed a major tour of Europe, where they played their biggest concert, to a hundred thousand people in Milan. After the tour Marley went to America, where he performed two shows at Madison Square Garden as part of the Uprising Tour. -
The Final Concert
The final concert of Bob Marley's career was held 23 September 1980 at the Stanley Theater (now called The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (a U.S state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States). The audio recording of that concert is now available on CD, but then, it was on vinyl (plastic old music records that were made of vinyl), and digital music services.
