Bob Marley (1945–1981) was a Jamaican singer and songwriter, the most internationally recognized reggae artist in history, from 1960s Studio One sides with the Wailers to the landmark Island Records run. Exodus and Catch a Fire are the entry points, and Live! catches the band at full power. Dig into Bob Marley vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Robert Nesta Marley was born in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica on February 6, 1945. He formed the Wailers in 1963 with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, recording for Studio One (Coxsone Dodd) and other Jamaican labels throughout the 1960s. The Wailers signed with Island Records in 1972, beginning the international career that produced Catch a Fire (1973), Burnin' (1973), Natty Dread (1974), and the landmark live album Live! (1975). After Tosh and Wailer departed for solo careers, the band continued as Bob Marley & the Wailers. Marley died of melanoma in Miami on May 11, 1981 at age 36.
Marley's recordings define the international reggae aesthetic - one-drop rhythms, vocal harmony arrangements with the I Threes (Marley's wife Rita, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt), and lyrical themes of resistance, spirituality, love, and Rastafarian thought. His songs Get Up, Stand Up, No Woman No Cry, One Love, Redemption Song, and Three Little Birds have become global standards.
Original Island Records pressings of the 1970s catalog are foundational items in reggae collecting. Multiple anniversary box sets, audiophile pressings, and remastered reissues have been released across the catalog, including extensive Tuff Gong and Island archive material.
Listeners new to Bob Marley typically start with Exodus (1977) or Legend (1984 compilation). Catch a Fire (1973) is a common entry point for his early Island work.
