FROM THE PAST

Curiosities about Bob Marley, from soccer to music, 42 years after his death

Robert Nesta Marley, aka Bob Marley, was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica, on 6 February 1945 to a British father, Norval Sinclair Marley (1885-1955) and a Jamaican mother, Cedella Booker.

His musical career began in 1961 with the single 'Judge No': this song, although very innovative, was not very successful. Three years later, Bob decided to form with Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh the band 'The Wailers', with whom he played everywhere around the world, becoming an icon of reggae music and beyond.

An artist who became a symbol of a very specific lifestyle, he died too early, at the age of 36, due to a melanoma in his right foot. Here are some interesting facts about the unforgettable Bob Marley.

Getty Images
42 years ago Bob Marley died
Robert Nesta Marley, aka Bob Marley, was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica, on 6 February 1945 to a British father and a Jamaican mother. His career began in 1961 with the single 'Judge No': this song, although very innovative, was not very successful. Three years later, Bob decided to form with Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh the band 'The Wailers', with whom he played everywhere around the world, becoming an icon of reggae music and beyond. An artist who symbolised a very specific lifestyle, he died too early, however, at the age of 36, on 11 May 1981, due to a melanoma in his right foot.
Getty Images
As a young man Bob Marley could read the hand
Believe it or not, as a young man Bob Marley had honed the techniques of divination and palmistry. However, when he realised his abilities, he was frightened. It is said that Marley's last prediction related to his artistic career: the musician predicted that his destiny would be to become a singer and from then on he refused to read palms for the rest of his life.
ANSA Foto
Bob Marley was a friend of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen and Bob Marley knew each other very well: the Jamaican singer had opened some of his American colleague's concerts. One evening in 1975, Springsteen decided to visit Bob after one of his performances in New York. The Boss later declared that the meeting was very strange and that he had understood absolutely nothing of what his friend had said to him: in Bob's dressing room there was a thick fog (imagine what that was about)!
Ueli Frey, Wikimedia
In 1976 Bob Marley escaped an assassination attempt
In December 1976, three days before 'Smile Jamaica', a concert organised by the prime minister of Jamaica to ease tensions between political groups in the country, Bob, his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor suffered an attack by an armed group of unknown persons at Marley's residence. The singer-songwriter was hit by two bullets: one in the chest and the other in an arm, but fortunately there were no casualties.
Getty Images
Bob Marley was a huge soccer fan
There was more to Bob Marley's life than music. The singer-songwriter loved playing football and was a huge fan of footballer Osvaldo Ardiles. When Ardiles played for Tottenham, Marley was often present at the stadium to support Spurs. It was while playing football that the musician accidentally discovered the disease that led to his death, after noticing a simple wound on his foot that was actually a symptom of cancer.
Artwork
Marley donated the rights to 'No Woman, No Cry' to a friend of his
'No Woman, No Cry' is one of Bob Marley's most famous songs. The royalties from this song, however, did not belong to the Jamaican singer, but were deeded to Vincent Ford, Marley's childhood friend and owner of a canteen in Trenchtown, the Kingston ghetto. Ford's place was on the verge of bankruptcy and the profits from 'No Woman, No Cry' allowed this eatery to survive. All thanks to the King of Reggae.
Artwork
Redemption Song Is his spiritual testament
When he wrote this unforgettable song, around 1979, Marley had already been diagnosed with the cancer that would lead to his death and he was already aware of his fate. In fact, the lyrics of this splendid song can be interpreted as the artistic and spiritual testament of the eternal Bob, as his wife Rita Marley has also speculated.
news of hollywood's great actors
28/03/2024
Informativa ai sensi della Direttiva 2009/136/CE: questo sito utilizza solo cookie tecnici necessari alla navigazione da parte dell'utente in assenza dei quali il sito non potrebbe funzionare correttamente.