Bob Marley’s Legacy: A lifetime of love, endurance, talent and dedication

Robert Nesta Marley is born at Nine Miles, St. Ann’s, Jamaica.

December 1962

Marley records two singles, ‘Judge Not (Unless you Judge Yourself)’ and ‘One Cup of Coffee’ at a local studio by Leslie Kong , owner of the Beverley’s label.

1963

Forms the Wailing Rudeboys (later becoming The Wailin’ Wailers) with Trenchtown pals, peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston; they are joined by Junior Braithwaite and female vocalists Beverly Kelso and Cherry Green, and records some 70-80 tracks for the Studio One label with Coxsone Dodd.

January 1964

The Wailers’ first single, “Simmer Down,” reaches Number 1 in Jamaica’s JBC Radio Chart.  The group begins to release a series of singles that regularly climb the Jamaica charts.

1965

The Wailers’ first album, The Wailing Wailers is released.

February 1966

Marley marries Rita (Alpharita) Anderson.

November 1966

Marley returns to Jamaica with some savings, setting up a record store in Kingston with Rita.  Rita has converted to Rastafarianism, changing her name to Ganette Mander (meaning “paradise”), following the visit to Jamaica of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia.

1967

Reunites with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, Marley releases singles on the Beverly’s label. They cut a local hit, “Bend Down Low,” at Studio One and created their own label, Wail’M’Soul’M—but the venture is a commercial failure.  Marley hooks up with American artist Johnny Nash (who in 1972 storms the U.K. charts with Marley’s.

1968

Composition (“Stir It Up”) and Danny Sims, Nash’s manager, signs Marley to Nash’s JAD label.

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November 1968

Marley has begun exploring Rastafarianism.  Meets Mortimo Planno of the Divine Theocratic Temple of Rastafari in Kingston.  Beginning of Rastafarian influence on Marley’s music.  Bob, Bunny, Peter and Rita record on Johnny Nash’s JAD label, produced by Arthur Jenkins.

1969

Along with the rest of the Wailers, Marley fully embraces Rastafarianism.  They link up with top local producer Lee “Scratch” Perry on their newly formed Tuff Gong label. Perry brings in the Barret brothers, Aston and Carlton, as the Wailers’s rhythm section: They will become an integral part of the group’s sound.

1970

The Wailers album Soul Rebel released.

1972

After a difficult though creative period, The Wailers sign with Island Records’ boss Chris Blackwell.

April 1973

Their debut release on Island is Catch a Fire—heavily promoted by the label.  A U.K. tour, including key dates at the Speakeasy in London, attracts rock critics and other Island stars—the band’s U.K. profile is further raised by appearances on BBC Radio One and BBC TV’s Old Grey Whistle Test.

July 1973

The Wailers appear at Max’s Kansas City Club in New York (the center of American new wave activity a year or so later), supporting Bruce Springsteen.

November 1973

Second Island-produced album Burnin’ is released.

August 1974

Eric Clapton reaches Number 1 in the U.S. singles charts with his cover version of Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.”

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October 1974

Natty Dread is released.  A significant difference on this album is that the group is now called Bob Marley and The Wailers.  

May 1976

The Wailers play the Roxy in Los Angeles—a concert later listed in Rolling Stone’s 1987 feature Live! Twenty Concerts that Changed Rock’n’Roll.  Rastaman Vibration released.

June 1976

Bob Marley And the Wailers headline a festival in Wales.

December 1976

Gunmen break in to Marley’s home in Kingston during the Jamaican general election campaign.  Present are Marley, Rita, their manager Don Taylor, other friends and five children.  All the adults are shot and wounded.

Spring 1977

Bob Marley and The Wailers are based in London, on and off, for three months while working on their next album, during which time Marley and Aston Barret are arrested and fined for possession of cannabis.

June 1977

Exodus is released and it reaches Number 8 in the U.K. album charts, later hitting Number 20 in the States.

September 1977

In Miami, a cancerous growth is diagnosed on one of Marley’s toes—the press is informed that it is a foot injury received while playing soccer.

February 1978

The album Kaya is recorded in England: The single “Is This Love” reaches the U.K. top 10.

April 1978

Bob Marley And The Wailers play the One Love Peace concert at Kingston’s National Arena—an attempt to link Jamaica’s feuding political parties; Marley symbolically joins hands of bitter rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga.

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December 1978

Marley makes first, short trip to Rastafarianism’s spiritual homeland Ethiopia, and releases live album Babylon By Bus.

February 1979

Bob Marley and The Wailers are the first reggae act to play at Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater, in front of a backdrop featuring an Ethiopian flag, a portrait of Haile Selassie, and a collage of Marcus Garvey and other black freedom fighters.

July 1980

The single “Could You Be Loved,” taken from the 1980-released album Uprising, reaches U.K. number 5.

September 1980

During dates at Madison Square Garden, New York, supporting the Commodores, Marley collapses while jogging. Cancer is detected.

November 1980

Marley is baptized at Kingston’s Ethiopian Orthodox Church, marking his conversion to Christian Rastafarianism: he takes the name Berhane Selassie.  

May 11, 1981

Marley dies at age 36 at Miami’s Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, days after arriving. He is buried on May 21 after lying in state at the National Arena, Kingston.

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July 1981

A re-release of “No Woman, No Cry” charts in the U.K.

August 1981

A tribute to Marley in Montego Bay, Jamaica, forms part of the Fourth International Reggae Sunsplash Festival, including an appearance by the Melody Makers—four of Marley’s children.

May 1983

Confrontation, an album of unreleased material and singles by Bob Marley and The Wailers was released.

May 1984

The Legend compilation is released: It spends 12 weeks in total at Number 1 in the U.K. album charts, and also becomes a permanent fixture in the U.S. album charts.

May 1986

The Marley Museum opens in Kingston on the site of his home, headquarters of Tuff Gong Records.

January 1994

Posthumous induction of Bob Marley to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.  The induction speech is given by U2 singer Bono.

1999

Legend, Bob Marley and the Wailers’ greatest-hits collection, receives its 10th platinum certification, signifying sales of more than 10 million copies.