Bob Marley Biography

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Assassination Attempt and Subsequent Exile

Bob Marley and the Wailers were due to headline at the "Smile Jamaica" concert at the National Heroes Park in Kingston. However, disaster struck on 3 December as gunmen attempted to assassinate Marley whilst he was at home. Bob, Rita and their manager (Lewis Griffiths) and friend Don Taylor were all hit but survived the attack. Bob was hit in the arm and Rita in the head. The attack was believed to be politically motivated as the concert was perceived to be support of the leader of the Peoples National Party (PNP), Michael Manley.

After resting in the Blue Mountains for two days the band went ahead and played the concert. Bob unable to play the guitar and Rita's head bandaged. After the show the band moved to England and spent 18 months in exile.

Whilst in England the Band recorded Exodus, Bob Marley's most critically acclaimed album (Time magazine declared this to be their Album of the Century). During a European tour to promote Exodus, Bob was diagnosed as having a cancerous growth on his toe. He didn't want this to be made public so it was announced that he had sustained an injury whilst playing football. The tour was cancelled when cancer was diagnosed. Marley could have been cured by allowing doctors to amputate his toe but he rejected the idea of this surgery as it would contradict his Rastafarian principles.

In 1978 the band released Kaya. They were accused of selling out as most of the tracks on this album were odes to love and ganga (both subjects being stereotypical of reggae music). However, as these were both important aspects of Marley's life so it is natural for them to be reflected in his song writing.

In April 1978 Bob Marley and the Wailers played at the One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica, where Michael Manley (Prime Minister of Jamaica and leader of the ruling PNP party) and Edward Seaga of the opposition JLP party were in attendance. Marley called them on stage and managed to get them to shake hands (somewhat reluctantly) On 15 June Marley was awarded the UN "Peace Medal of the Third World"

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