Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley on the 6th December 1945 in Nine Miles, St Ann’s, Jamaica, in the cold countryside with no electricity. He had a tough childhood often going without meals and was outcasted for being mixed race. His mum was black, and his dad was a white man who he was rejected by.

When he was 12 years old, he and his Mother moved to Trench Town in Kingston, Jamaica in search of a better life. He had a great passion for music which pushed him to develop his talent and in 1963, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer formed the original music group The Wailers. The group gained national and international success over the years. When Bob Marley found meaning in the Rastafari religion it strongly influenced his identity, music and overall way of life.

In 1976 political tensions were high in Jamaica between the JLP and PNP. Bob was sickened by the political violence of the youth killing each other for the politicians. He took the concept of a free concert to the current PNP Prime Minister. However, this was taken advantage of as 2 weeks after the announcement of the Smile Jamaica Concert, the prime minister called a new general election to align with the concert. Marley never supported either party.

One evening when he and the band were rehearsing for the concert, gun men approached, and shots were fired. A bullet grazed his chest and lodged into his arm. It is speculated that the JLP was behind the attack. After the incident there was pressure to whether the concert would go on as planned and many advised him not to go in fear of him being assassinated. Regardless, on the 5th December 1976 police escorted him to the concert and he fearlessly performed to 80,000 people.

In 1977 he moved to London. Whilst there he was diagnosed with melanoma in his toe. Meanwhile in Jamaica the political violence was getting worse. The One Love Peace concert was organised to counter the violence and Bob Marley was asked to headline. When asked why he returned he said his life is only important if he can help plenty people. On the 22nd April 1978 he gave an infamous spiritual performance and spontaneously brought the two politicians together to embrace and shake hands.

In May 1980, whilst on tour in New York, Bob was jogging in central park and suddenly collapsed. After being taken to the hospital he was told cancer had spread throughout his whole body. He took the news badly. Two days later he performed for the last time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania delivering two encores.

There after he started treatment in New York. but in late October he was discharged from the hospital as they advised there was nothing more they could do. Wanting to fight his illness he went to a holistic clinic in Germany. After months of treatment, they too advised there was nothing more that could be done. Bob Marley was then flown to Miami on the 8th May where he died 3 days later on the 11th May 1981.