Over the last couple of days, “Bob Marley One Love” landed in cinemas.
The movie centres on Bob Marley’s life, highlighting his journey to fame as a reggae singer in the 1970s.
Bob’s impact on music made him a worldwide superstar, a cultural icon in Jamaica and reggae’s finest.
To mark the release of the biopic, here are some interesting facts about the legendary Rastafarian.
His real name is Nesta Robert Marley
His mom named him Nesta when he was born in 1945 in ST Ann Parish, Jamaica.
People thought Nesta was a girl’s name, so she registered Robert as his first name.
He didn’t want to become a singer right away
As a child, he used to be a palm reader and could predict the future, but stopped when he was seven to pursue singing.
Mathematics was his favourite school subject
He dropped out of school early where he became an apprentice welder but left after a severe injury.
He was 16 when he recorded his first song
During his welding job, he met aspiring musician Desmond Dekker.
Desmond encouraged him to audition for Beverley’s Records, leading to his recording of “Judge Not” in 1962.
The song reflects his poor upbringing because of his biracial heritage.
His record label was named after his nickname
He grew up facing challenges in Kingston, Jamaica due to his mixed heritage.
This led to fights where he showed his strength and toughness.
It earned him the nickname “Tuff Gong” which he later used for his record label and other ventures.
He received a United Nations Medal
In 1978, he was honored with a peace medal from the United Nations, presented by African Delegates.
He received this recognition for his efforts in advocating for marginalized black communities.
He was honored with Jamaica’s Order of Merit
Marley received this shortly before he died, and anyone living in the country is entitled to it.
He was honoured for his international success and contribution to the country’s culture.
He has the best-selling reggae album ever made
After he died in 1981, his post-mortem album “Legend” came out three years later.
It sold over 12 million copies, making it the top-selling reggae album of all time.
You can purchase his coffee products
Rohan, one of Marley’s kids, started Marley Coffee in 2009.
They grow their coffee beans in Jamaica and everything is fairtrade certified.
Their blends are inspired by his famous songs like “Buffalo Soldier” and “One Love.”
He’s a father of 11 children
Yes, you read that correctly!
Biologically, he has three children with his wife Rita.
They adopted their daughters Sharon and Stephanie from other relationships.
He had six more children with different mothers.
Some of his children, like Damian, followed in his footsteps and found success as singers.
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