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Few figures have inspired the world as much as Bob Marley. As an artist, his popularity is right up there with the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. But as a cultural icon? He might be even bigger. And his strong beliefs were the product of his troubled upbringing. Here's his tragic real-life story.
The history of Jamaica is a tale of both oppression and rebellion, with slaves pitted against colonial subjugation. The origin of Bob Marley was a microcosm of this bigger story. His mother Cedella was a descendant of slaves, and his father Captain Norval Sinclair Marley was a privileged white politician working for the British government. The power imbalance here is obvious enough, but to make things worse, he was 41 years older than her, as she was only 18 when they married.
With promises of economic stability, Norval Marley manipulated Cedella into a romantic relationship. But as soon as she became pregnant, he hit the road. She named her son Robert, and though he carried his father's surname, he never felt attached to the unknown man who had treated his mother so cruelly. As for Norval himself, he died when his son was only 10 years old.
Watch to learn more about Bob Marley's tragic past.
#BobMarley #Musicians #Rastafarian
Absentee father | 0:16
Tuff Gong and the Rude Boys | 1:02
Assassination attempt | 1:52
Exile to London | 2:54
Cancer strikes | 3:40
Death and legacy | 4:31
The history of Jamaica is a tale of both oppression and rebellion, with slaves pitted against colonial subjugation. The origin of Bob Marley was a microcosm of this bigger story. His mother Cedella was a descendant of slaves, and his father Captain Norval Sinclair Marley was a privileged white politician working for the British government. The power imbalance here is obvious enough, but to make things worse, he was 41 years older than her, as she was only 18 when they married.
With promises of economic stability, Norval Marley manipulated Cedella into a romantic relationship. But as soon as she became pregnant, he hit the road. She named her son Robert, and though he carried his father's surname, he never felt attached to the unknown man who had treated his mother so cruelly. As for Norval himself, he died when his son was only 10 years old.
Watch to learn more about Bob Marley's tragic past.
#BobMarley #Musicians #Rastafarian
Absentee father | 0:16
Tuff Gong and the Rude Boys | 1:02
Assassination attempt | 1:52
Exile to London | 2:54
Cancer strikes | 3:40
Death and legacy | 4:31