Bob Marley Died 34 years ago and the world especially his millions of fans celebrate him to date.
Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley served as a world ambassador for reggae music and sold more than 20 million records throughout his career—making him the first international superstar to emerge from the so-called Third World.
When Bob Marley was buried a week and a half after his death on May 11, 1981, he was laid to rest with three items in his casket: His red Gibson Les Paul guitar, a bible opened to Psalm 23 and a stalk of marijuana.
That trinity sums up much of the legacy Marley left behind — the spiritual wholeness, the celebration of marijuana and the faith in music to bring us together.
After his band the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Bob Marley embarked on a solo career in 1977. His first solo album, ‘Exodus’ established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records.
Many remember Marley for his public embrace of marijuana and his belief in its healing powers. Marley’s website describes the musician as “a staunch supporter of the plant’s meditational, spiritual and healing abilities, and a fierce opponent to those (“political forces”) who tried using marijuana as a vehicle for oppression, and to keep certain groups of people out of the societal mainstream.”
Bob Marley’s life has been the subject of several documentaries.
The first of which titled, ‘Rebel Music’ won various awards at the Grammys and contained contributions from Marley’s wife Rita, The Wailers, and Marley’s lovers and children. Another documentary, ‘Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend’ made by his ex-girlfriend and filmmaker Esther Anderson along with Gian Godoy was released in 2011. A third feature, ‘Marley’ directed by Kevin Macdonald was released on 2012.
After being diagnosed with a type of malignant melanoma under the nail of a toe, a harmful cancer, Bob Marley was advised by the doctor to get his toe amputated but the singer refused citing his religious beliefs. Instead the nail and nail bed were removed and a skin graft taken from his thigh to cover the area.
Shortly afterwards, Marley’s health deteriorated as the cancer had spread throughout his body. After fighting the cancer without success for eight months Bob Marley died on 11 May 1981 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami at the age of 36.
The spread of melanoma to his lungs and brain caused his death. His final words to his son Ziggy were “Money can’t buy life.”Marley received a state funeral in Jamaica on 21 May 1981, which combined elements of Ethiopian Orthodoxy and Rastafari tradition. He was buried in a chapel near his birthplace with his red Gibson Les Paul
