How Did Bob Marley Die? - When Did Bob Marley Die? | Curiosity Aroused Home > Culture > How Did Bob Marley Die? How Did Bob Marley Die? Tweet Jamaica’s first international superstar, Bob Marley is credited with bringing reggae, rasta and a powerful message of peace and reconciliation to people around the world at a time of great social crisis. Following his death over three decades ago, “Nesta” left behind a legendary collection of music, but also a lingering sense of frustration at his refusal to save his own life. Bob Marley live in concert in Zurich, Switzerland, May 30, 1980 – less than a year before his death. (Photo credit: Drjazz.ch | Wikimedia Commons) How did Bob Marley die? Having revolutionized popular music and earned lasting fame, Bob Marley died in 1981 at the age of 36 from a brain tumor, which had formed in the wake of a metastasized melanoma cancer on his right foot’s big toe. This particular toe had been a periodic problem since he was a young boy in Jamaica.

When the toe nail was ripped off during a soccer match at the beginning of Marley’s Exodus tour in 1977, he went to a doctor who found preexisting cancerous cells in the afflicted area. By the late ’70s, Bob’s melanoma had spread to his brain and spawned a tumor that would take his life. When did Bob Markey die? After enduring months of experimental ‘holistic’ treatment in Germany, he passed away in Miami on May 11, 1981 among friends and family. ‘Cause every little is thing gonna be all right’The 1977 Exodus tour would cement Marley’s legend across Europe and the United States. But it began with a bad omen. In Paris for the first show, Bob played a game of soccer with some French journalists in which he badly busted up his right toe, losing most of the toenail. He should have stayed off the foot so it could heal, but Mr. Marley was on his Exodus tour; there was much to be done. The now-famous live recording at the Rainbow Theater in London was just weeks away. So, Bob left the fate of his foot to chance and hope.

By the London show, however, he was limping off the stage, his boot soaked in blood. Finally, he consulted a foot specialist in England who gave him the bad news: the toe was cancerous. Part of his foot would have to be amputated to keep the melanoma from spreading. Chant Down BabylonAmputation was a big problem. Bob’s Rastafarian faith saw razors, scissors and combs as the technology of ‘Babylon’ and colonial oppression; a Rastaman should not allow his body to be pierced with any of these instruments. Horrified by the prospect, Bob agreed to a compromise: the doctors could resection the top half of his toe and perform a skin graft—but they would not be allowed to amputate through his foot as recommended. Healing quickly from the less invasive procedure, Bob was heartened and tried to forget about his toe. It worked for a few years, but by the Uprising tour of 1980, the clock was ticking. Days before a major performance in Pittsburgh, he suffered a stroke while jogging in Central Park. His whole body was riddled with cancer, from the liver to the lungs and brain.

It seemed the American leg of the Uprising tour was all but doomed, but Bob—or, according to his family, his road manager and booking agency—was insistent that the show must go on. Despite extremely poor health, he performed his last formal show at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 23rd, 1980. Jah Melanoma“Tuff Gong” Marley charismatically expressed Rastafarian themes and shared them all over the globe, providing inspiration not only for people of color, but for everyone who cared about peace and justice. Why would Bob Marley reject a life-saving procedure on the basis of this philosophy? Practitioners of Rastafari commonly place their trust in natural or holistic medicine over the pharmacological approach of the West. Moreover, Marley had long believed Jah would protect him; if his death was a part of the plan, he was okay with that. Rastafarians believe in eternal life: “My richness is life forever,” he often said. Bob didn’t catch his cancer early, nor did he take appropriate action when he first learned of the abnormal cells—the two biggest mistakes you can make when threatened with melanoma.

Unfortunately, many people believe melanoma can be neutralized just by cutting off the mass. Bob Marley tried this route, but it was too little and too late; melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer precisely because it is so eager to metastasize. A melanoma even a millimeter deep is already deep enough to breach the bloodstream and export cancer to the rest of the body. More often than not, as Marley’s case shows, such a rogue melanoma is nearly impossible to arrest. Yet the five-year survival rate for those that catch melanoma before it spreads is an astonishing 99%. In other words, Bob Marley probably could have survived had he allowed a timely amputation. Bonus Facts To Arouse Your CuriosityAssassination Attempt: 1976Bob Marley and his close entourage survived a politically-motivated assassination attempt by anonymous gunmen in Jamaica a year before discovering his cancer. It was on the eve of a peace concert amid intensifying political violence in the Caribbean island nation. Bob played the concert anyway, explaining: “The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off.

How can I?” ‘Africa for the Africans’Rastafarianism’s roots hearken to 1920s Jamaica, when Marcus Garvey was a prominent public figure. It was from the beginning an empowering Afro-Caribbean cultural response to Western colonialism and racism. By the peak of Marley’s career in the ’70s, the Rasta lifestyle had been adopted by some 60% of indigenous Jamaicans. Acral Lentiginous MelanomaSkin cancer is most prevalent among white people but that doesn’t mean people of color can’t get it, as young Marley’s untimely death demonstrates. Metastatic skin cancer, or melanoma, is the most lethal form of skin cancer. Bob Marley had a particularly aggressive type called “acral lentiginous melanoma,” which disproportionately affects individuals of African and Asian ancestry. Bob Marley dies - May 11, 1981 - HISTORY.com Bob Marley dies Publisher A+E Networks In what would prove to be the next to the last concert of his tragically short life, Bob Marley shared the bill at Madison Square Garden with the hugely popular American funk band The Commodores.

With no costumes, no choreography and no set design to speak of, “The reggae star had the majority of his listeners on their feet and in the palm of his hand,” according to New York Times critic Robert Palmer. “After this show of strength, and Mr. Marley’s intense singing and electric stage presence, the Commodores were a letdown.” Only days after his triumphant shows in New York City, Bob Marley collapsed while jogging in Central Park and later received a grim diagnosis: a cancerous growth on an old soccer injury on his big toe had metastasized and spread to Marley’s brain, liver and lungs. Less than eight months later, on May 11, 1981, Bob Marley, the soul and international face of reggae music, died in a Miami, Florida, hospital. He was only 36 years old. Nesta Robert Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in rural St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, the son of a middle-aged white Jamaican Marine officer and an 18-year-old black Jamaican girl.

At the age of nine, Marley moved to Trench Town, a tough West Kingston ghetto where he would meet and befriend Neville “Bunny” Livingston (later Bunny Wailer) and Peter McIntosh (later Peter Tosh) and drop out of school at age 14 to make music. Jamaica at the time was entering a period of incredible musical creativity. As transistor radios became available on an island then served only by a staid, BBC-style national radio station, the music of America suddenly became accessible via stateside radio stations. From a mix of New Orleans-style rhythm and blues and indigenous, African-influenced musical traditions arose first ska, then rock steady—precursor styles to reggae, which did not take shape as a recognizable style of its own until the late 1960s. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer performed together as The Wailers throughout this period, coming into their own as a group just as reggae became the dominant sound in Jamaica.

Thanks to the international reach of Island Records, the Wailers came to the world’s attention in the early 1970s via their albums Catch a Fire (1972) and Burnin’ (1973). Eric Clapton spread the group’s name even wider by recording a pop-friendly version of “I Shot The Sheriff” from the latter album. With the departure of Tosh and Wailer in 1974, Marley took center stage in the group, and by the late 70s he had turned out a string of albums— Exodus (1977), featuring “Jamming,” “Waiting In Vain” and “One Love/People Get Ready;” Kaya (1978), featuring “Is This Love” and “Sun Is Shining”; and Uprising (1980), featuring “Could You Be Loved” and “Redemption Song.” While none of the aforementioned songs was anything approaching a hit in the United States during Bob Marley’s lifetime, they constitute a legacy that has only increased his fame in the years since his death on this day in 1981.

Related Videos 30 Years After Bob Marley's Death | PBS NewsHour Burnett’s portfolio, ‘Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley,’ was collected into a book and published by Insight Editions in 2009. He is represented by Contact Press Images . A transcript is after the jump. JEFFREY BROWN: Welcome again to Art Beat. I’m Jeffrey Brown. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of music legend Bob Marley. The Jamaican reggae star died young in 1981. He was just 36. He died from cancer, and he left behind a legacy that reaches across musical genres, ages and around the world. Joining me today on the phone is David Burnett. He’s a photojournalist who was sent to Jamaica in 1976 by Time magazine to profile Marley and helped to introduce him to an American audience. A year later, Rolling Stones sent Burnett to cover Marley’s “Exodus” tour, covering everything from concerts to quiet down time. His portfolio, “Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley,” is collected into a book and published in 2009. Welcome to you.

DAVID BURNETT: Thanks. It’s a pleasure to be here. JEFFREY BROWN: I understand that when you first got this assignment to go down there you didn’t know who Bob Marley was? DAVID BURNETT: I have a 25-year-old daughter, and of course she’s always giving me that, Oh dad, how can you not know something? But in fact in 1976 the whole world of reggae was pretty unknown to a North American audience. You had to have either spent time in London or in Jamaica to understand what reggae was about. And it’s true, I spent the first few days — we were in Ocho Rios with some people from the music business and a couple of other bands, and the interesting thing was all along the way everybody that we ran into would say, Well, when are you going to see Bob? As if that was the one thing that you had to do on a trip like this. JEFFREY BROWN: What was your first impression when you did see Bob? DAVID BURNETT: We met him at Tuff Gong, which was his home and what’s become the Marley Museum in Kingston.

And when you compare the ’70s with now, we had, I think, one person from Island Records kind of came along with the writer and I, and he was there really just to make sure that we got delivered to the right house. There was no team of publicists and anything that happens these days in the world of show business or music. You’ve got all these hangers-on that are trying to prevent anything real from happening. JEFFREY BROWN: Yes, yes, I’m familiar with that. DAVID BURNETT: Bob just kind of invited us to come in, and I was with the writer Dave DeVoss, and we spent a couple of hours just hanging out and talking. And David did his interview, and again, I was pretty lucky because this was one of those things where the interview time can be really rich mining for a photographer, because it gives the subject time to be thinking about other things other than, Gee, when is this photographer going to be finished shooting my picture?

And so when you get really into the discussion about politics and music and all the things that Marley and his music came to stand for, it gave me the time to kind of hop around the room and make some pretty good pictures. And he could not have been any easier to work with or more welcoming. It was just — he was just very cool. A year later, as you mentioned, when I caught up with him on the “Exodus” tour, I had a copy of one of the French magazines with me that had also run some of the photos. And I showed him some of the stuff and he remembered it, and at that moment he kind put it all together and like, I was cool. JEFFREY BROWN: This, as you say, came from a very distinctive scene and situation in Jamaica. As you said, you met other musicians along the way, but tell us about the time and place, where he was living and kind of creating this music? DAVID BURNETT: His compound was, as I recall, it was some kind of post-colonial housing, some nice, big, airy rooms with windows and a lot of breezes and fans and very simple, though. Unadorned.

It was not so much a showplace or a showcase as it was just a very comfy place to be. I think that to me really kind of reflected what he was about. He was somebody who had very strong opinions, but he was pretty cool about them. I never saw him get angry or anything. It was just a very cool discussion, and we went through politics and talking about the injustice of what was going on then in Jamaican politics and how music related to that. A couple of years ago I actually got back in touch with Dave DeVoss, the writer, and I said, You don’t by any chance happen to have that audio cassette from our interview with Bob Marley, do you? And he just kind of laughed and he said, You know, I probably did another 20 or 30 interviews. And those days that’s what everybody did. You had your one cassette. Nobody archived their cassettes. And I just feel bad, because I know that to be able to just sort of sit down and play that couple of hours back would be wonderful, and it would be a whole other side of Bob that people I’m sure would have enjoyed hearing.

JEFFREY BROWN: What comes through in the music, looking at politics, looking at life, looking at injustices, as you say, that was real? DAVID BURNETT: Absolutely. Yeah, and his growing up years were not easy. I think he had really been there. He was one of these guys who in his own experience, he wasn’t writing about something that he didn’t know about. And I think the way he wrote and presented his music was very indicative of how he felt. You know, I’ll be just walking down a sidewalk just about anywhere and for me it’s the No. 1 song on the iTunes in my brain is “No Woman No Cry.” If there’s any void that just starts to play. For me that’s the one song of his that is the most touching and real…if you listen to the narrative you just kind of feel like you’re there on a cold morning with the steam rising up. I remember like everybody else when we got the news that he passed away. And he and I are about the same age. He was about a year older than I was, and I just felt like this is way, way too early, way too young.

JEFFREY BROWN: Spending that time and being the fly on the wall, especially when you see him in concert, did you develop a theory on why he stood out, or why even now so many years later — DAVID BURNETT: I would leave that maybe to the anthropologists, but there’s no doubt that there is attraction to his music and the poetry of his music that is just indescribable. One of the really wonderful things was two years ago when “Soul Rebel” first came out, we had an exhibition of photographs in Washington, D.C., at the Govinda Gallery. I spent maybe four Saturdays there, just kind of being there while I watched the people come in to see the photographs. And it was this amazing mixture of people, kind of my age in their 50s and maybe early 60s, and they would be there with their teenage kids because they really wanted their kids to know who Bob Marley was. And some of these folks had actually been to a Marley concert or two when they were younger. And then at the same time coming in, you would have 14-year-old kids dragging their parents in because they wanted their parents to know who Bob Marley was.

And so it just was astonishing and wonderful at the same, just to see the breadth of the attraction to the music and to the message, and it just cut across every set of lines — age, sex, economic background. People love the music and they really relate to him. JEFFREY BROWN: All right, photojournalist David Burnett on his experience with Bob Marley, who died 30 years ago today. Thanks so much for talking to us. DAVID BURNETT: Surely. Thank you very much. JEFFREY BROWN: And thank you for joining us once again on Art Beat. I’m Jeffrey Brown.

Bob Marley fronts marijuana brand to sell healing power of the herb | Music | The Guardian Bob Marley Bob Marley fronts marijuana brand to sell healing power of the herb Family of late reggae superstar teams up with private equity firm to launch Marley Natural, which will offer ‘heirloom Jamaican cannabis strains’ Tuesday 18 November 2014 07.44 EST Last modified on Friday 11 November 2016 08.49 EST This article is 2 years old Bob Marley is to become the face of the world’s first international marijuana brand. The late reggae superstar’s family has teamed up with a private equity firm to launch Marley Natural, which will offer “heirloom Jamaican cannabis strains” inspired by those Marley enjoyed. “My dad would be so happy to see people understanding the healing power of the herb,” said Cedella Marley, Bob’s daughter.

“He viewed the herb as something spiritual that could awaken our well-being, deepen our reflection, connect us to nature and liberate our creativity.” She said Marley Natural was an “authentic way to honour his legacy by adding his voice to the conversation about cannabis and helping end the social harms caused by prohibition.” The cannabis company is expected to start shipping its product to areas where pot is now legal by the end of next year. Alongside ganja, the company – backed by Privateer Holdings, a private equity firm that deals exclusively in cannabis industry investments – will sell creams, lotions and accessories all inspired by marijuana and Marley. The company will be headquartered in New York City. Marley paraphernalia and topicals will be available worldwide. Its actual marijuana products will all have the same branding but will be grown and distributed locally in jurisdictions where the drug is legal in order to abide by the patchwork of regulation that now covers cannabis consumption. “There is probably no better known cultural icon related to cannabis than Bob Marley,” said Brendan Kennedy, chief executive of Privateer Holdings. “He called cannabis the herb and he said the herb is the healing of the nation.

And he wasn’t talking about a country, he was talking about mankind.” Pinterest Close to three decades after his death, the Jamaican reggae star is more popular now than at any point during his lifetime. Over the past year, ending in October, he was the ninth highest paid dead celebrity according to Forbes’ annual list of dead celebrities’ earnings, making $20m , more than Marilyn Monroe or John Lennon. The marijuana deal could potentially put Marley in the top spot, now occupied by Michael Jackson. Kennedy calculates that globally marijuana sales are worth between $150bn and $200bn a year, though, of course, most of that is illicit. In the US 23 states now have some form of decriminalization and four, plus the District of Columbia, allow recreational use. “We are in a state of rapid transformation,” said Kennedy. “Some 70% of Americans now live in a state where cannabis in some form is legal.” He said Marley Natural could one day be a brand to rival Starbucks or the alcohol brands that emerged after prohibition.

Kennedy said he began talking to the Marley family in 2013 about launching a legal marijuana company and it was clear they were unhappy with the unlicensed use of Bob Marley’s image in pot shops across the world. “Partnering with us is a way of protecting his image,” he said. “We’ve learned a lot over the past year about Bob’s views towards cannabis and how he viewed the herb differently. We are honored to work with the Marley family to bring his voice to a professional, authentic and modern brand that will be a defining first in the cannabis industry,” he said. The family has rallied behind the branding initiative. “My husband believed ‘the herb’ was a natural and positive part of life,” said Rita Marley, Bob’s widow, “and he felt it was important to the world. He looked forward to this day.” Pinterest The launch of pot’s first global brand comes as the prohibition on pot is being challenged worldwide and so-called “canna-business” is growing at the sort of rate usually reserved for the tech industry. Dozens of states across the US have allowed the sale of medical marijuana. Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia allow the drug to be sold for recreational purposes.

Colorado expects residents and visitors to buy 130 metric tons of marijuana this year. It collected $26.7m in taxes, licenses and fees on marijuana sales in the month of September, the latest data available. While illegal sales constitute the majority of the cannabis economy, legal sales are growing strongly. Last year legal marijuana sales topped $1.42bn, according to a report from Arcview Market Research, this year they predict that figure will grow by 64% to $2.34bn next year. Marley, who died in 1981 aged 36, was a Rastafarian, and believed marijuana was a “sacrament” sanctioned by the Bible. (According to Psalms 104:14, “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man.”) Marley died without leaving a will, leading to years of litigation over ownership of his recordings, publishing and other assets. In 2011 Billboard magazine estimated that the trade in pirated Marley music and merchandise was worth $600m a year. But the reggae idol never showed much interest in money.

In 1979, when Marley was asked on the 60 Minutes news show whether he was a rich man with a lot of possessions, Marley said: “Possessions make you rich? I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is life, forever.” PHOTOS: Remembering reggae legend Bob Marley - Pasadena Star-News Media Center Share Search In this 1980 photo, Jamaican Reggae singer Bob Marley performs on stage during a concert in Bourget, Paris, on July 3, 1980. Marley died in Miami, Florida, on May 11, 1981. (AP Photo/Str) Jamaican singer Bob Marley during a show, 1981, Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gianni Ferrari/Cover/Getty Images) The late reggae star Bob Marley smiles in this promotional photo released in 1981. (AP Photo/Files) Jamaican Reggae singer Bob Marley and his backing group The Wailers perform in front of an audience of 40,000 during a festival concert of Reggae in Paris, France, on July 4, 1980.

(AP Photo/Str) Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley is shown performing in 1979. The location is not known. (AP Photo) Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Sting, Ziggy and Stephen and Damian Marley perform in tribute to Bob Marley on stage at the Staples Center during the 55th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 10, 2013. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images) Album covers by Bob Marley are displayed at the Bob Marley Messenger exhibit at HistoryMiami, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) A jacket worn by Bob Marley and a Gibson Les Paul Special guitar used by the musician are displayed at the Bob Marley Messenger exhibit at HistoryMiami, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2013 file photo, a mural depicting reggae music icon Bob Marley decorates a wall in the yard of Marley's Kingston home in Jamaica.

(AP Photo/ David McFadden, File) A photograph of Bob Marley is displayed at the Bob Marley Messenger exhibit at HistoryMiami, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) A security guard walks past a poster on display ahead of the Los Angeles Premiere of 'Marley', a film by Kevin MacDonald, on April 17, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images) Ziggy Marley (L) and his brothers Robbie (C) and Rohan (R) pose on arrival for the Los Angeles Premiere of 'Marley', a film by Kevin MacDonald, on April 17, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images) The statue of Bob Marley stands in Kingston, Jamaica, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2005.

(AP PHOTO/Collin Reid) Bono, lead singer of the band U2, second from left, presents the late Bob Marley's family with a Rock n Roll Hall of Fame award during the Ninth Annual Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 1994. From left are Rita Marley, wife of the late Bob Marley, Bono, Marley,s son, Ziggy, and Bob Marley's mother, Sadilla Booker. (AP Photo/Joe Tabacca) The Jamaican singer Bob Marley during a show, 1981, Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gianni Ferrari/Cover/Getty Images) FILE - This undated file photo, originally supplied by Island Records, shows singer Bob Marley. (AP Photo/Island Records, File) Reggae singer, Bob Marley, performs in this 1980 handout photo. (AP Photo/Island Records) Rita Marley, widow of reggae superstar Bob Marley, and her two sons, Ziggy, left, and Stephen, attend Marley's funeral in Kingston, Jamaica, May 21, 1981.

Marley died of cancer. (AP Photo/Ray Fairall) FILE - In this July 4, 1980 file photo, Jamaican Reggae singer Bob Marley performs in front of an audience of 40,000 during a concert in Paris. (AP File Photo) Jamaican Reggae singer Bob Marley practices his football skills at a soccer field in Paris, France, on May 10, 1977. Marley and friends were due to play in a friendly match against French personalities, but due to bad weather the match was cancelled. (AP Photo) Jamaican Bob Marley, who spearheaded the movement of Reggae, the popular music of Jamaica, is seen here in 1976. (AP Photo) Jamaican Reggae Singer Bob Marley, performs during a free concert at National Heroes Park in Kingston, Jamaica, Dec. 6, 1976, two days after being shot in the left arm during a rehearsal for the Concert. Three of Marley's associates were also shot during the incident.

(AP Photo) Jamaican Reggae singer Bob Marley talks to reporters before a practice match with friends and musicians at a soccer field in Paris, France, on May 10, 1977. Marley and friends were due to play in a friendly match against French personalities, but due to bad weather the match was cancelled. (AP Photo) 6th April 1977: Jamaican singer-songwriter and reggae star Bob Marley (1945 - 1981) outside Marylebone Magistrates Court in London, where he was fined Â£50 for possession of cannabis. (Photo by Maurice Hibberd/Evening Standard/Getty Images) Reggae singer-songwriter Bob Marley (1945 - 1981), in concert. (Photo by Gary Merrin/Getty Images) June 1977: Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter and guitarist Bob Marley (1945 - 1981) in London.

(Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) Jamaican Reggae singer Bob Marley performs in front of an audience of 40,000 during a festival concert of Reggae in Paris, France, on July 4, 1980. (AP Photo/Str) ‹ Articles about Bob Marley - latimes Today is 'Bob Marley Day' in Toronto; Rob Ford gets dancing February 6, 2014 | By Amy Hubbard Hear ye, hear ye. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has declared Feb. 6 "Bob Marley Day. " Toronto residents, get partying. The mayor, who gained fame by smoking crack and making outrageous public statements, is reportedly a big fan of Marley. In December he had his colleagues dancing to the reggae icon's "One Love" during a city council meeting. Ford isn't the first Toronto mayor to love Marley. It's a tradition that began in 1991 with Mayor Art Eggleton. Marley is esteemed by the Canadian city for his "message of peace, love and unity ," as a Facebook account attests.

Advertisement Tribute To Bob Marley January 31, 1987 In celebration of Black History Month and the late Bob Marley's birthday, Burning Spear and his Burning Band and Moja Nya will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at North Park Theatre. The 6th annual event will commemorate Marley's impact on reggae music. Marley became best known for song hits such as "Simmer Down" and "Rude Boy" and later albums "Catch a Fire" and "Natty Dread." IMAGE Buttons & Bows: How an e-tail dream leads to a boutique September 21, 2013 | By Sarah St. Lifer, Special to the Los Angeles Times To many, EBay is a website for discovering rare designer gems or selling castoffs that are gathering dust. But for Karen Marley (daughter of reggae legend Bob Marley) and Monique Aquino - co-owners of Los Angeles boutique Buttons & Bows - EBay was more than just a way to make extra money; it was a trial run for the two entrepreneurs.

When the pair met through mutual friends, Marley had quite the collection of vintage wares, and Aquino was a veteran of the retail business. They quickly became fast friends and business partners, starting a fashion-centric blog they hoped would elevate their presence in the e-tail community. ENTERTAINMENT Grammy 2013 Bob Marley tribute: A mission to (Bruno) Mars February 11, 2013 | By Randy Lewis This post has been corrected. See note below for details. Assessments of the Bob Marley tribute number at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday at Staples Center were largely complimentary about the medley delivered by Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna and Ziggy and Damian Marley that concluded with Marley's “Could You Be Loved,” but many fans were wondering why it was served up this year. It came not on a significant birthday (he would have turned 68 earlier in the week) NEWS Bob Marley's legacy on film May 29, 2003 Just read Baz Dreisinger's excellent piece on the L.A. reggae scene ("Riding the Reggae Wave," May 22).

But there is one glaring oversight, which is that I produced and directed a feature documentary on the death of Bob Marley and its impact on the Jamaican psyche called "Land of Look Behind." Jim Jarmusch and Werner Herzog have cited it as one of their favorite films of the last 20 years, and when it premiered in Jamaica it caused Rasta versus Christian rioting that resulted in the film being banned as too provocative. ENTERTAINMENT Bob Marley song to get first release September 24, 2005 | Randy Lewis A previously unknown recording by reggae icon Bob Marley is slated to be released in November on a new compilation album, England's NME.com reports. The song, "Slogans," was found last year by Marley's son Ziggy among uncataloged tapes in the family's archives. The acoustic demo recording is believed to have been recorded in Miami in 1979 and has been completed with instrumental overdubs added by other musicians, including Eric Clapton.

NEWS Joe Higgs; Sang Reggae, Helped Bob Marley December 20, 1999 | RICHARD CROMELIN, TIMES STAFF WRITER Joe Higgs, a reggae singer best known for fostering the career of Bob Marley, died Saturday night in Los Angeles after a long struggle with cancer. He was 59. It was in Higgs' yard in the Trench Town ghetto in Kingston, Jamaica, that the young Marley received years of private tutoring in vocal technique and stagecraft from Higgs, years before Marley began recording with his group the Wailers. Marley later credited Higgs with his international success. ENTERTAINMENT Bob Marley's Legacy Mired in Estate Battle February 4, 1989 | DON SNOWDEN Almost eight years after his death, reggae master Bob Marley still stirs people's emotions. On Sunday, 6,000 fans are expected to gather at the Long Beach Arena for the seventh annual Bob Marley Day concert honoring the legacy of Marley, who died of cancer on May 11, 1981.

The concert, which begins at 2 p.m., features a bill headlined by veteran reggae stars Burning Spear and Judy Mowatt. NEWS Bob Marley's Brother Dies in Shoot-Out with Police February 20, 1990 | Reuters The 19-year-old brother of the late Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley died in a shoot-out with Miami police after he frightened shoppers at a mall by stalking through stores with a 12-gauge shotgun, authorities said Monday. They said Anthony Booker fired once at police in the Cutler Ridge Mall's parking lot Sunday before he was killed by officers. ENTERTAINMENT Review: Bruno Mars brings Moonshine Jungle to Staples Center July 28, 2013 | By Mikael Wood Bruno Mars makes it look so easy. Midway through his concert Saturday night at Staples Center, the style-skipping singer hushed his band to deliver a lesson in seduction -- “R&B 101,” he called it. First he demonstrated his strategic use of the word “damn,” which he said communicates all kinds of romantic intent.

Then he singled out a female fan near the stage and told her -- lied to her, really -- that by this point in his show he sometimes gets a little weary. TIMELINE: Summer's must see concerts “But then I see your smile and I just want to keep singing for the rest of my life,” he said, adding with a grin, “You can put that one in your pocket, fellas.” Such knowing finesse has made Mars one of the most successful acts in pop, with a string of smartly crafted No. 1 singles (including “Grenade,” “Just the Way You Are” and “Locked Out of Heaven”) NEWS Toms' throws pre-Fourth of July 'Red, White and Bold Bash' June 26, 2013 | By Susan Denley Toms is hosting a pre-Fourth of July “Red, White and Bold Bash” on Saturday at the Americana at Brand . The charitable shoe and eyewear company, which gives back to those in need for every pair of shoes or glasses sold, is hosting a party with live music, games and art on the green from noon to 6 p.m..

It's to celebrate Independence Day - “and the freedom to style your Toms,” the event flyer says. The mall is at 889 Americana Way, Glendale. Opening Designer resale boutique Buttons and Bows , owned by Karen Marley and Monique Aquino, has moved to a larger location at 548 Spring St., Suite 112, in downtown Los Angeles' historic core. ENTERTAINMENT Bob Marley family strikes deals with CAA, merchandiser Bravado March 6, 2013 | By Dawn C. Chmielewski It's been more than 30 years since reggae superstar Bob Marley died of cancer, but the Jamaican musician continues to enjoy broad cultural resonance. Marley's songs and merchandise sales rank him alongside other late musical greats including the king of pop, Michael Jackson, and the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, according to Forbes magazine.

The sustained popularity of Marley -- who wore his hair long in the dreadlocks favored by the Rastafarians and espoused a life philosophy that the world could be united through "one love" -- has attracted new deals with Creative Artists Agency and giant music merchandising company Bravado. ENTERTAINMENT Grammy 2013 Bob Marley tribute: A mission to (Bruno) Mars February 11, 2013 | By Randy Lewis This post has been corrected. See note below for details. Assessments of the Bob Marley tribute number at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday at Staples Center were largely complimentary about the medley delivered by Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna and Ziggy and Damian Marley that concluded with Marley's “Could You Be Loved,” but many fans were wondering why it was served up this year. It came not on a significant birthday (he would have turned 68 earlier in the week) NEWS 5 Questions for Paul Shoemaker January 21, 2013 | By Jenn Harris Paul Shoemaker is the chef at the newly opened Juicy Lucy at the Taste at Figat7th food court in downtown.

Before opening his new burger joint, Shoemaker spent time in the kitchens at Water Grill, the French Laundry in Yountville, Providence and Bastide, where Shoemaker earned his first Michelin star. He went on to open the now-closed Savory in Malibu, where he received some serious burger cred for his Wolfmother burger creation. Shoemaker is now turning out Juicy Lucy hamburgers (the cheese is in the middle of the patty instead of on top) ENTERTAINMENT New Releases: Raunchy laughs, painful truths in 'Bachelorette' August 3, 2012 | By Noel Murray, Special to the Los Angeles Times Bachelorette Available on VOD beginning Friday Writer-director Leslye Headland's debut feature "Bachelorette" will undoubtedly be compared to "Bridesmaids,"since both films are raunchy, female-fronted comedies about the awkwardness and envy that bubbles up when a friend gets married. But the cast of "Bachelorette" is younger, which makes the tone different - less one of exhaustion and disappointment, more seething anger and recklessness.

Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan and Isla Fisher play three catty friends who are asked to be in the wedding party of an oddball acquaintance (played by Rebel Wilson) CALIFORNIA | LOCAL Bob Marley's mother wrote 2 bios of him April 20, 2008 | From Times Staff and Wire Reports Cedella Booker, 81, the mother of Jamaican music legend Bob Marley who wrote two biographies of her famous son and recorded two albums, "Awake Zion!" and "Smilin' Island of Song," died in her sleep April 8 at her Miami home, apparently of natural causes, a family spokesman said. Booker, a Jamaica native, was 18 when she married Norval Marley, a British man 32 years her senior. Their son brought Jamaican reggae music to global prominence, becoming its international image. Bob Marley died in Miami of a brain tumor in 1981 at age 36. Booker's survivors include several grandchildren, among them Ziggy Marley, who won four Grammys with the Melody Makers, a band that included his brother Stephen and sisters Sharon and Cedella.

ENTERTAINMENT MOVIE REVIEW : 'Bob Marley: Time Will Tell' an Exhilarating Tribute July 30, 1992 | KEVIN THOMAS, TIMES STAFF WRITER It is impossible to watch the stirring, exhilarating tribute "Bob Marley: Time Will Tell" (at the Ken Cinema through Saturday night) without experiencing a profound sense of loss. Marley's passionate songs asserting black dignity and equality as well as freedom and justice for all couldn't be more timely for Los Angeles audiences right now. Born in Jamaica in 1945 of a white father and a black mother, Marley said that he didn't take sides--that he was for everybody. TV This Week for July 29th - Aug. 4th: 'Marley' on VH1 July 27, 2012 | By Matthew Cooper Click here to download TV listings for the week of July 29 - Aug. 4 in PDF format This week's TV Movies SUNDAY He was fast and furious long before "The Fast and the Furious.

" Three-time Formula One champ Ayrton Senna, who died behind the wheel at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, is saluted in the gripping 2010 documentary "Senna. " (ESPN2, 7 and 9 p.m.) Up close and personal: Two teenage Navajo track stars share their stories in "Up Heartbreak Hill" on a new "POV," and Olympic weightlifter Cheryl Haworth is profiled in "Strong!" ENTERTAINMENT Spirit of a legend at Bowl July 12, 2012 | Katherine Tulich When you think reggae, the first name that springs to mind is Bob -- Marley, that is, but probably not Bob Andy. A contemporary of Marley's, the Jamaican-born Andy is making a rare appearance at Sunday's "Legends of Reggae" concert, part of KCRW's World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. " I'm here to put a face to the name," the singer says, laughing.

Considered one of reggae's most influential songwriters, Andy has songs that have been recorded by a variety of artists including Gregory Isaacs, the Specials, Taj Mahal, Maxi Priest and UB40. Official Bob Marley Weed Will Be For Sale Next Year | The Huffington Post Official Bob Marley Weed Will Be For Sale Next Year 11/18/2014 08:39 am ET | Updated Nov 19, 2014 1.6k Matt Ferner National Reporter, The Huffington Post The family of reggae superstar Bob Marley, whose public embrace of marijuana made him synonymous with cannabis culture, has joined a private equity firm to launch the first global consumer marijuana brand. Marley Natural products will begin appearing in shops located in countries and U.S. states where marijuana is legally sold in late 2015, the Marley family and Privateer Holdings announced Tuesday. “If you were to try and pick one person in the history of the world associated with this product, it would be Bob Marley," Brendan Kennedy, CEO of Privateer Holdings, told The Huffington Post.

“Everyone has a little Bob Marley on their playlist and that’s different than anything else out there in this market.” Marley, a Jamaican who died in 1981 from cancer at age 36, was world acclaimed for hits that included "Exodus," "I Shot the Sheriff," and "Jammin." He used marijuana as part of his Rastafarian religious beliefs and said its use was important to spiritual growth. Here's a look at the Marley logo: The new marijuana company will have a suite of products that include heirloom Jamaican cannabis strains said to be similar to the ones Marley consumed. “Bob’s favorite strains were the strains that were prevalent in Jamaica historically like lambsbread, pineapple skunk, and some others … that he used to get from Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, in Jamaica,” Kennedy said. Marley Natural also will feature cannabis-infused and hemp-infused lotions and balms, as as well as accessories for storage and consumption of marijuana.

Kennedy said that Marley Natural will feature recreational and medical marijuana products, depending on local laws, because of Marley’s deep beliefs that cannabis use is a natural and positive part of life that helped to produce “inner-peace and creativity” for the artist. “Creative inspiration was everything for my father -- it was like breathing or life to him,” Marley’s daughter Cedella said in an interview for the brand’s launch. “Every time he smoked, he was inspired and an open mind was the open door for his creative inspiration. He thought the herb was actually a gift.” Cedella Marley, along with Bob Marley’s son Rohan and wife Rita, are partners in the Marley Natural brand with Privateer. From left, Cedella sits with Rita and Rohan Marley. “My father thought that herb is for meditation, herb is for higher vibration and herb is for the healing of the nation,” Rohan Marley added. Four U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana and more than 20 have legalized medical cannabis. About a dozen more are considering similar laws. Guam became the first U.S. territory to legalize medical marijuana this month. Last year , Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational marijuana.

Several other countries have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. While the sale of marijuana is illegal in Jamaica, the government of Caribbean island is likely to decriminalize possession and use of the plant for religious purposes. The island's Rastafarian spiritual movement sees marijuana as a sacrament. Kennedy said he and a partner founded Privateer Holdings with the premise -- “the end of marijuana prohibition is inevitable.” “It’s a 30-year deal,” Kennedy said. “Marley Natural is a brand with deep roots in the life and legacy of our father Bob Marley,” Cedella Marley said. “He’s smiling, right now, he’s smiling at what’s really happening.” Also on HuffPost:

Question: Reggae superstar Bob Marley died in which year?
Answer: 1981