Jammin' to the music of Bob Marley

Ask anyone who was living in the 1970s and there is little doubt that Bob Marley was one of the greatest musicians of that era and continued to shine for decades after. 

To date, songs such as 'No Woman, No Cry' and ‘Redemption Song’ remain unmatched. 

Marley was born on 6 February 1945. He hails from St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. The musician became a world ambassador for reggae music selling over 20-million records throughout his career.

His music helped people from different cultures and backgrounds connect. 

READ: Are you a Bob Marley superfan?

He started off as a member of Wailing Wailers, a group he formed with his friends which released the hit single, ‘Simmer Down’.  The group enjoyed success. 

Marley was such a prominent musician that he made many people fall in love with Rastafarianism. 

Some of his achievements include receiving the Order of Merit from the Jamaican government. He is also a recipient of the Medal of Peace from the United Nations, which he received in 1980.  

Sadly, as Marley was enjoying his international fame and success, doctors discovered that he had cancer. He suffered from malignant melanoma and was advised by his doctor to have his toe amputated. Marley refused, and the cancer spread to other parts of his body, even his brain. 

The star died in a Miami hospital on May 11 in 1981 at the age of 36. 

East Coast Gold remembers this legend with some of his biggest hits on Sunday 6 February. 

Listen through the day on Sunday for more from Bob Marley on what would've been his 76th birthday. Guy McDonald has a special at 9am. Jane Linley-Thomas plays more from Bob Marley in her 2pm and 5pm hours.

For loads of fantastic 60s, 70s and 80s classics, listen to East Coast Gold via the ECR app or here. We’re also on platforms like Alexa (just enable the ‘East Coast Gold’ skill) MyTuner, Radio Garden; iono.fm, Radioline and OpenRadio.

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