Bob Marley

Robert Nesta Marley (1945-1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist who became the most recognizable figure in reggae music worldwide. He formed The Wailers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963, and signed to Island Records in 1972. His Island albums — produced by Chris Blackwell — brought reggae to a global audience for the first time. Key records include Catch a Fire (1973), Natty Dread (1974), Rastaman Vibration (1976), Exodus (1977), and Uprising (1980). Time magazine named Exodus Album of the Century in 1999. Marley died of cancer on May 11, 1981, at 36. His catalog has sold over 75 million records and his children and grandchildren continue to carry his musical legacy forward.