Marley, Bob (1945–1981)

Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley. His style of reggae came to be increasingly influenced by rock and African music.

Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter. His songs, many of which were topical and political, increased the popularity of reggae worldwide in the 1970s. They include ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ (1973) and ‘No Woman No Cry’ (1974); his albums include Natty Dread (1975) and Exodus (1977).

The core of Marley's band, the Wailers, was formed around 1960, and they began making local hits – ‘Simmer Down’ (1963), ‘Rude Boy’ (1965), ‘Stir It Up’ (1967), ‘Trench Town Rock’ (1971) – combining rock steady (a form of ska), soul, and rock influences.

Catch a Fire (1972) was an influential reggae album, but the international breakthrough came with Burnin' (1973), containing the song ‘I Shot the Sheriff’. Punky Reggae Party (1977) was written with their British punk fans in mind. Marley, who was a Rastafarian, toured Africa in 1978 and began to incorporate African elements in his music. His last album was Uprising (1980). A ‘best of’ album, Legend (1984), became the best-selling reggae album ever.

In February 2001, Marley was given a star on Hollywood's ‘Walk of Fame’ pavement.