Bob Marley
Bob Marley, full name Robert Nesta Marley (1945-80). Jamaican reggae singer, the first rock superstar to emerge from a developing country. Marley was born in St Anns, Jamaica, the illegitimate son of a senior naval officer. Having coformed the Wailers reggae group in 1963, Marley soon emerged as their lead singer and chief songwriter. The group later found international acclaim with their albums Catch a Fire (1973) and Natty Dread (1975). Marley’s songs, which preached Rastafarianism and anti-establishment politics, made him a controversial public figure in Jamaica; he survived an assassination attempt in 1975. Later albums, which achieved large sales in Europe and the US, included Exodus (1977) and Uprising (1980). Since his death from cancer he has been regarded as a national hero in Jamaica.
