THE NAME'S MARLEY...BOB MARLEY!

So I wake up this morning and it feels great to be at the beach, there's nothing better than waking up to the smell of the ocean, the cool clean air, fried bake and shark for breakfast, a cold cup of coconut water and Bob Marley playing in the background...oh the feels.

Marley's voice could fit in anywhere, the repetitive rhythm of the sweet reggae coupled with Marley's vocals can mellow out any day, any situation, anything! If the steel pan actually had a voice, I bet that it would sound just like Bob Marley.

But as much as we love us some Bob...how much do we actually know about the legend that is Bob Marley? Walk with me will you...

Did you know...

• Bob's father was a 50-year-old navy captain named Norval Sinclair Marley. With his mother being a 19-year-old village girl named Cedella, Bob was born from an interracial union and needless to say, Norval's colonialist family was not thrilled to hear the news. Norval left Cedella to raise Bob on her own, after he made it clear that Bob was her child and hers alone.

• As a child, Bob would constantly make people uneasy by telling them details of their past and future through palm reading. After living in the ghettos of Kingston for one year, 7-year-old Bob returned to his village and refused to palm read for anyone ever again.

• Bob's recording label, Tuff Gong is named after him. It was a nick name he earned as he was considered the wrong guy to mess with in the Kingston ghetto of Trenchtown.
  

• Bob would work for hours and hours and not get exhausted. As a child he would walk five miles just to fetch firewood and never complained. He showed his resilience working three jobs when he moved to Delaware as an adult and famous for rehearsing hours on end with his band, never getting tired.


• Bob was arrested for possession of marijuana and spent a month in prison. During that month, Bob became acquainted with the prisoners who encouraged him to do more songs with strong political messages. Thank you prisoners of Jamaica.

• Bob would constantly question why he was so poor even with all the constant performances and his undeniable fame. He eventually found out that his long time manager and friend, Don Taylor was stealing from him. Needless to say, Bob beat Don within an inch of his life, then he fired him. Don't mess with the Tuff Gong!

• In 1973, Bob and the Wailers joined a 17-city tour of Sly and the Family Stone, but was later fired by band leader, Sylvester Stone for being too good and getting all the attention.
  
  
  
  

• Bob was a professional level football player. If he wasn't making music, he could be seen outside playing a game of football.

• Marley has at least thirteen children that are known to the world, Imani, Sharon, Cedella (named after his mother) Stephen, Robbie, Rohan, Karen, Stephanie, David aka Ziggy, Julian, Ky-Mani, Madeka and Damian aka Junior Gong. It is rumored that there are more.

• When Bob became successful, he shared his wealth with his struggling friends and family, building them homes and helping the poor in his community.

• Bob is at number five on Forbes list of Top Earning Dead Celebrities.

I encourage you, any artist that inspire you or create a feeling of peace within you. Research their lives, their stories and understand who they are and what their message is. If there music dont represent who they are, then it can't be real. Bob did music that represented who he was and what he stood for. He wasn't driven by commercial success or fame, but by the want and need to help his family and his people which made his music pure and powerful.

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."

                                                                                                           - Bob Marley