Bob Marley
November 18, 2008
Bob Marley-A Legend
This paper will explore the life and musical steps of a true legend, Bob Marley. In 1944, British Captain Norval Marley married Cedalla Booker, an extremely young Jamaican girl. On February 6, 1945 at 2:30am she gave birth to Robert Nesta Marley on February, 6 1945, in northern Jamaica in a small town called, St. Ann, named Nine Miles. (White) Throughout Bob Marley's life his father was not there. The psychological aftermath of being an abandoned child of a biracial marriage was something that heavily influenced reggae superstar Bob Marley for his entire career. Many of Marley’s most loyal fans and the vast majority of reggae enthusiasts are unaware that he was, indeed, born to a white father, and a black mother. Bob Marley grew up angry with his father who he felt had mistreated him and his mother. Marley was also partially ashamed of his white heritage. This childhood mentality of resentment and embarrassment sculpted Marley’s youth and eventually influenced the ideals and work of his musical genius for his entire career. (Steckles) “My fadda was a guy yunno, from England here, yunno? Him was like…like you can read it yunno, it’s one o’dem slave stories: white guy get the black woman and breed her. He’s a English guy…I t’ink. Cos me see him one time yunno. My mother? My Mother African.” (Bob Marley, 1978) (Steckles) Marley and his mother moved to Kingston Jamaica (Trench town) when he was barley into his teens, and that is where he met his friend, Neville O'Riley Livingston, known as Bunny, this is who he first took his musical steps with. They were fascinated by the American music they could pick up on American radio stations. They loved listening to the sounds of artist such as, Ray Charles, Fat Domino, Curtis Mayfield, and Brook Benton. They also enjoyed the tunes of a black local group, The Drifters. (bobmarley.com) Marley eventually quit school and had only one ambition: music! He had
Bob Marley-A Legend
This paper will explore the life and musical steps of a true legend, Bob Marley. In 1944, British Captain Norval Marley married Cedalla Booker, an extremely young Jamaican girl. On February 6, 1945 at 2:30am she gave birth to Robert Nesta Marley on February, 6 1945, in northern Jamaica in a small town called, St. Ann, named Nine Miles. (White) Throughout Bob Marley's life his father was not there. The psychological aftermath of being an abandoned child of a biracial marriage was something that heavily influenced reggae superstar Bob Marley for his entire career. Many of Marley’s most loyal fans and the vast majority of reggae enthusiasts are unaware that he was, indeed, born to a white father, and a black mother. Bob Marley grew up angry with his father who he felt had mistreated him and his mother. Marley was also partially ashamed of his white heritage. This childhood mentality of resentment and embarrassment sculpted Marley’s youth and eventually influenced the ideals and work of his musical genius for his entire career. (Steckles) “My fadda was a guy yunno, from England here, yunno? Him was like…like you can read it yunno, it’s one o’dem slave stories: white guy get the black woman and breed her. He’s a English guy…I t’ink. Cos me see him one time yunno. My mother? My Mother African.” (Bob Marley, 1978) (Steckles) Marley and his mother moved to Kingston Jamaica (Trench town) when he was barley into his teens, and that is where he met his friend, Neville O'Riley Livingston, known as Bunny, this is who he first took his musical steps with. They were fascinated by the American music they could pick up on American radio stations. They loved listening to the sounds of artist such as, Ray Charles, Fat Domino, Curtis Mayfield, and Brook Benton. They also enjoyed the tunes of a black local group, The Drifters. (bobmarley.com) Marley eventually quit school and had only one ambition: music! He had