The new film, One Love, celebrates the extraordinary life and career of the legendary Jamaican reggae musician, Bob Marley. This cinematic journey traces Marley’s path from his humble rural beginnings in Jamaica to international superstardom, highlighting well-known stories and events. Yet, there are many lesser-known facts about this iconic figure. Here are four surprising stories that shed light on different aspects of Bob Marley’s life.
1. The J-Reggae Pioneer
Did you know that Bob Marley played a crucial role in popularizing reggae in Japan? During his visit to Japan in 1975, Marley befriended the renowned percussionist Masahito “Pecker” Hashida. This friendship led to a significant musical collaboration on two influential albums: Pecker Power (1980) and Instant Rasta (1981), both recorded at Channel One Studios in Jamaica. Featuring a blend of Jamaican and Japanese artists, these albums were instrumental in spreading reggae’s popularity in Japan. Today, reggae remains a beloved genre in Japan, celebrated at major events like the Yokohama Reggae Festival.
2. UN Award Winner
Bob Marley’s socially conscious and politically charged lyrics are well known, but did you know he was honored by the United Nations for his efforts in promoting peace and justice? In 1978, Marley was awarded the Peace Medal by the UN for his work during a time of political unrest in Jamaica. Earlier that year, he had performed at the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston, Jamaica, aiming to ease sectarian gang violence. Marley famously brought political rivals together on stage to shake hands. A few months later, the UN accolade was presented to him at the Waldorf Astoria in New York by the African delegation to the United Nations.
3. The Palm Reader
Before his rise to musical fame, Bob Marley was known in his hometown of St. Ann, Jamaica, as a gifted palm reader. As a child, Marley would read the palms of friends and neighbors, predicting their futures with a remarkable degree of accuracy. His close friend and confidante, Allan “Skill” Cole, described Marley as a “natural mystic.” However, palm reading was frowned upon by the Rastafarian community, which ultimately persuaded Marley to abandon the practice. Nonetheless, not before he accurately predicted that he would one day build his own recording studio.
4. Chrysler Factory Worker
In 1966, despite having a few Ska hits in Jamaica, Bob Marley had yet to make a significant impact in the music industry. During this period, he briefly worked in a Chrysler automobile plant in Wilmington, Delaware, where his mother had been living since the death of Marley’s father. For ten months, Marley toiled on the Chrysler assembly line and operated a forklift at night. This experience later inspired his song “Night Shift,” which appeared on his 1976 album Rastaman Vibration.
These stories highlight the diverse and fascinating journey of Bob Marley, a man whose influence extends far beyond his music, leaving a lasting legacy on global culture.