orig. Robert Nesta Marley
born Feb. 6, 1945, Nine Miles, St. Ann, Jam.
died May 11, 1981, Miami, Fla., U.S.
Jamaican singer and songwriter.
Raised in the Kingston slum known as Trenchtown, Marley apprenticed himself to a welder. In the early 1960s he formed the Wailers with Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingston (later called Bunny Wailer), and others. In the 1970s they became the first international reggae stars with releases such as Catch a Fire (1973), Exodus (1977), and Uprising (1980). He died of cancer at age 36. Marley's music, an amalgamation of American, African, and Jamaican styles, reflected his Rastafarian beliefs in universal peace, love, equality, and hope and of unification and empowerment for blacks. Since his death he has attained near-legendary stature. His wife, Rita, and son Ziggy also recorded successfully.