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Singer-songwriter-guitarist Bob Marley,
b. Robert Nesta Marley in St. Ann, Jamaica, Feb. 6, 1945,
d. May 11, 1981, took REGGAE out of Jamaica and disseminated
it to the world. In 1964, Marley formed his vocal group the
Wailers (then the Wailin' Wailers or the Wailin' Rudeboys),
which included Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, both of whom
went on to enjoy solo careers. Their first hit, "Simmer
Down," was followed by a string of Caribbean chart-toppers,
and by 1972 the group had recorded four Jamaican albums. In
1967, Marley converted to the RASTAFARIAN religion, which
became a dominant theme in his music. Marley became a songwriter
for Johnny Nash in 1972, giving him the first reggae-flavored
international hit with "Stir It Up." Bob Marley
and the Wailers' critically acclaimed American debut album
Catch a Fire, and its follow up, Burnin' (which contained
the subsequent hits "Get Up, Stand Up" and "I
Shot the Sheriff"--popularized by Eric Clapton), were
both released in 1973. Later albums, including Natty Dread
(1975), Rastaman Vibration (1976), and Uprising (1981), won
Marley international audiences. His work influenced countless
reggae and pop artists in the United States and Britain, where
reggae remains especially popular.
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