Bob Marley was born in 1945 in Jamaica to a black Jamaican mother and a white Jamaican father of English descent. His parents faced difficulties due to the racial attitudes of the time. When Marley was young, his family moved to the poor area of Trench Town in Kingston. There he was exposed to the new genres of R&B, ska and reggae music. He formed a vocal group called The Wailers with his friends and they had their first number one hit in Jamaica in 1964. The Wailers became known for promoting messages of love, peace and social justice through reggae music. Bob Marley went on to find international success but died of cancer in 1981 at the young age of 36.

2. Early Life
Which significant event was happening in 1945?
Robert Nesta Marley was born in 1945 in a small village in Jamaica called Nine
Miles. He was mixed race as his mother was Black and his father was a White
Jamaican man of English origin. Unfortunately, his father’s family objected to
him being with a Black woman, so the relationship was difficult. Marley’s
father was overseas most of the time and he died when Marley was ten. It has
been reported that he only met his son once.
The Second World War was coming to an end. The war officially ended in
September 1945.
How do you think Marley’s mother felt when she was judged because of the
colour of her skin?
"Jamacan 8907" by MSMcCarthy Photography
is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
"spanish bridge, Jamaica" by Paul Mathew
on Unsplash.

3. Kingston
Marley and his mother moved to Kingston, Jamaica’s capital,
when he was 12 years old. They set up home in a government
tenant yard called Trench Town. The inhabitants were all very
poor and the houses were made of corrugated metal and tar
paper. They had only one room and no running water.
"Duhaney Park, Kingston" by James Willamor
Is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

4. Gangs
Trench Town had many street
gangs and it was a dangerous
place to live. However, many
young people enjoyed the
latest Rhythm and Blues (R&B)
and Ska music that was being
produced in the United States
of America at the time.
Although he had an
apprenticeship to be a welder,
Marley couldn’t ignore his
passion for music and decided
to pursue it further.

5. Making Music
Marley and his childhood friend,
Neville Livingston, loved to
explore the latest music together.
They decided to form a vocal
group with some other friends.
One of these friends, Joe Higgs,
taught Marley to play guitar,
which enabled him to create
music of his own.
Marley and his friends used several
different names for their group
before finally settling on The
Wailers. They had their first
number one single in Jamaica in
February 1964.
In the late 1960s, the group started
to shift towards reggae music.
Reggae music is easily recognisable
by its slow, steady, ticking rhythm.
Click here to hear what it sounds like.

6. Success
Bob Marley and the Wailers toured all over the world using music
to challenge people’s opinions and share their beliefs. His music
highlighted inequalities in society and promoted love, peace and
harmony. His song lyrics are known for being very powerful.
What do you think of these lyrics? How do they make you feel?
Don’t gain the world and lose your soul. Wisdom is better than silver
and gold. - Zion Train
When one door is closed, don’t you know that many more are open. -
Coming In From The Cold
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don’t give
up the fight. - Get Up, Stand Up
You just can’t live in that negative way, make way for the positive day. -
Positive Vibration

7. Rastafari
Marley was raised a Roman Catholic but became interested in Rastafari
when he was in his early twenties.
The Rastafarian movement began in Jamaica in the 1930s and was
inspired by a range of influences, including the Biblical Old Testament, as
well as African heritage and culture and a Jamaican nationalist called
Marcus Garvey. Some of the main ideas include the belief in God (who they
call Jah) and respecting animals and the environment. Many Rastafarian
people choose to be vegetarian.
Rastafarians can often be recognised because some choose to style their
hair in dreadlocks. Some people dress in red, gold, green and black to
symbolise blood, riches, fertile land and Africa.
Who Was Marcus Garvey?
Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican leader who taught Black people that
they should be proud of their race. He was a very important figure in
Rastafari.

8. Legacy
Marley sold more than 20 million records
throughout his career. He was the first
international music star from a
developing country. He always worked for
peace in Jamaica and performed at Jamaica’s
‘One Love’ peace concert in 1978.
Marley wasn’t given many awards for his music
when he was alive. He received a Grammy
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, 20 years
after he died.
Marley was only 36 years old when he died of
skin cancer in 1981. His final words to his son
were “Money can’t buy life.”
What do you think Marley meant when he said
this?
Is this a good life lesson? “Statue of Bob Marley in Kingston, Jamaica
” by [avda-foto] is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0