j(Ji'� f. National Library of Jamaica ENTERTAINMENT II Inside: MOTHER'S DAY GREEaiGS MONTREAL, SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1986
By ROGER STEFFENS ap.clal to The Gazette It's been five years since lli9STON Jamaica - Bob · Mar K ley, the Third World vi sionary who took reggae out ·of Kingston's ghettos and estab the king of reggae died lished it as one of the world's most powerful musical forces, died five years ago tomorrow. - his Wailers are broke Marley was an international su perstar and a multi-millionaire when brain cancer killed him at the and legal battles are age of 36. He was merely popular in North America '(the resistance of black Americans to reggae was a holding up release of constant source of frustration to him), but be was idolized in Europe, and worshipped in much of the �bird the music he left behind World. He left behind a powerful and so lidly established musical empire, a legacy of songs that continue to be broke long-standing attendance rec prove the ultimate salvation in this the best-selling reggae records in ords held previously by the Beatles story, lot music has provided a vehi the world, a we;�ltb of unreleased and Rolling Stones. cle for many in Marley's immediate material, assets valued at about $7 He drew 180,000 people in Dublin family to ease the burden of mourn million U.S., and at least 11 children - Protestant and Catholic alike - ing, and make new statements that · by seven different women. tobear his insistence on the brother carry on his work.. What be didn't leave wasa will. hood of man. "Until the philosophy Rita Marley not only runs the bus which holds one race superior, and iness side of Tuff Gong, now known Hard times another inferior, is finally, and per as the R1ta Marley Group of Com And the absence of any formal ar manently, discredited and aban panies, but also has a solo singing ca rangements lor what would become doned, everywhere is war," he reer. Her One Draw was a light of his estate ("Rasta no deal with chanted, echoing the words to the hearted international smashnot long death," he often insisted), has bad United Nations of Ethiopia's Emper alter Bob died. She is alsoa member consequences bordering on disas or Haile Selassie I. Selassie is wor of the 1-Threes, the harmony trio trous. shiped as god {or Jab) by the Rasta that backed Marley on tour andrec Bitter legal battles are shaking farian religion that was the greatest ord. Their debut LP is expected the very foundations of the House passion of Marley's life, overshad soon. and holding up the re that Bob Built owing even the music he made, Fierce fervor lease of much of the music he left the free and easy sex be indulged In, behind. And many members of the thecopious amounts of marijuana be Four of Rita and Bdb's children loosely- knit Marley musical family smoked or tbe soccer be loved to have started a group called the Mel have fallen on desperately hard play whenever there was a ball and ody Makers. Their first LP, Plar Ule times, even while the songs they a field available. Game R1ght, was released last sum belpe1 createcontinue to be heard Later in the summer of '80 Marley mer, and received a Grammy nomi around the world. performed in a soccer stadium in nation. Lead singer Ziggy, now 17, is 'y\'itb no formal Marley will, his Milan in which The Pope had ap a ringer for Bob, vocally and pbysl wile, Rita, inherited everything. pea�eda !'.ce�earlic r :- a�d ��;ley ally, and sei!ms l?.poss� ��n� of . �. htm), but he was idolized m Europe, the and worshippedin much of Third· behkjl World. the music he left i He left behind a powerful and so lidly established musical empire, a legacy of songs that continue tJ be broke long-standing attendance rec· the best-selling reggae records in · ords held previously by the BeaUes the world, a wealth of unreleased and Rolling Stones. material, assets valued at about $7 He drew 180,000 people in Dublin million U.S., and at leas� 11 children - Protestant and Catholic alike- by seven different women. to bear his insistence on thebrother What be didn't leave was a will. hood of man. "Until the philosophy Hard times which holds one race suwrior, and another inferior, is finally, and per· And the absence of any formal ar manently, discredited and aban rangements for what would become doned, everywhere is war," be of his estate ("Rasta no deal with chanted, echoing the words to tbe death," he often insisted), has bad United Nations of Ethiopia's Emper consequences bordering on disas· or Halle Setassie I. Selassie is wor· trous. shiped as god (or Jab) by tbe Rasia· Bitter legal battles are shaking farlan religion that was the greatest the very foundations of the House passion of Marley's life, oversbad· that Bob Built and holding up the re owing even the music be made, Fierce fervor lease of much of the music be left the free and easy sex be indulged in, · ' , . behind. And many members of the the copious amounts of marijuana be Four of Rita and 84b'1 c n loosely knit Marley musical family smoked or the soccer be loved to have started a group calle4S�Mi .J have fallen on desperately bard play whenever there was a ball and ody Makers.Their first LP\.�� - times, even while the songs they a field available. Game Right, was released helped create continue to be heard Laterin the summer of '80 Marley mer, and received a Grammy • around the world. performed in a SOfCer stadium in nation. Leadsinger Ziggy,allll:i. qilw I II · With no formal Marley will, his Milan in which The Pope bad ap· a ringer for Bob, vocally wife, Rita, inherited everything. peareda week earlier- and Marley cally, and seems to posaeu of "Everything" included businessea outdrew The Pope. A hundred thou· the same songwrlting &ifta. and properties in several countries, sand Italians sang along with him tbe fierce fervor of his ��- _ a and control of the royalties from senae be be that day, and they seemed to know precocious that m�' II' Marley's 10 (now 12) �!!land albums. all the words to his songs. says, "fuUil his misa1Qo." ) At his death, Marley had achieved Whenbe died, the island of Jamal- Bob's haU-ai:lter Pear�.who Ia also sales on those 10 records of more ca was so grief-stricken its parlia- half-sister to Bunny WaUer, is a recessed 0 In 20a than 20 million copies. His posthu ment for I days of nation- young woman her earlf ' who mous 1984 greatest-bits package, al mourning. At the end of that time, basan active singing career ID qubs, · Legend, became the biggest. hit . the largest funeral in the history of particularly in the souibena Jllll1 of Marley ever had - entering the Marte,:Best-selling reggae fecorda inthe world, and a wealth of unreleaaed material. the Caribbean was held, wlth elo· the U.S. British popcharts at No. I and finn quent tributes from the very politi- Even Bob's mother, the formlda- ly ensconcing itself there for the cians whose actions Marley's sot1gs ble Cedella Booker, bas got into the ed him of royalty payments rightly next three months. A trickle of re been released in any form. Bunny "Family Man") was brutally mur· had frequently vilified. act, recording a gospel·r{l&gae due him, and asked for damages that mixed 12-inch singles have come Wailer bas kept the tapes for two dered in the bills above Kingston. Thosesame politicians had grudg- album called RedemptionS�s In could reach as high as $45 million. from Island and a few other labels, decades, and a couple of years ago, Carly checked bimseU into a mental ingly awarded Marley the island's honor of her son. ' Sims had been the Wailers original but the bulk of what Marley left in decided the time was ripe to resur facility and "Family Man" isreport· Order of Merit while he lay on his As for Bob himself, there are at manager and music publisher from the can isstill untouched. rect them. He cajoled Peter Tosb, ed to be in morose seclusion. From deathbed. Once he was safely buried least five albums' worth of uncol 1966 to 1972, when he sold the band'' There is much bitterness among and other original Wailers Junior being the top band in the history of they issued six postageostamps and a lected singles from the pre-Island contract to Blackwell's company. He Marley's former bandsmen, the Brathwaite and Constantine Walker reggae music, filling arenas in Asia, souvenir sheet in his honor, and com· period that could be released. There was promised a percentage of tb� Wailers. Guitarist AI Anderson, the into the studios, backed by tile Europe, South America and Africa missioned a statue. When it was un· are pilea of tapes with finWied or publishing rights on everything Bob only American in the group, puts it cream of modem reggae musicians as well as North America, the veiled, it looked so little Jill.e the nearly completed songs. Lon& re· bluntly: "All the members of the Marley would write through Octo like the rhythm twins, Sly Dunbar Wailers went into sudden retire· singer that lt was immediately pelt· hearsal tapes could be turned into band who worked for Bob Marley ber, 1976. Sims claims that Marley and Robbie Shakespeare. In this ment, broken only by the unsuccess- ed with fruit and shot at. They had to releasable product, in mu�b the are broke." bid such successful compositions as way, Marley's old vocals wer·e ful Legend tour of 1984. Jock it away in the heart of a mili· same way 1983's Confrontat;on LP No Wo.Q1an No Cry and Jah Live paired with current rhythms and To fully appreciate the irony of tary base to keep it from being de- contained a track manufactured Suing Rita under oTher people's names to avoid harmonizing. the troubles that have befallen the molisbed. A second, more accept- from a 24-minute jam on t,f/x Up The problem is compounded by paying htm his royalties, and the Astonishing work Marley empire, it's important to ap- able, version was commissioned and Mix Up. the filet Bob bad no written agree- case has dragged on for almost two preciate the influence his work had stands now in Kingston's National Then, too, there are sound board . ment wtth his musictans. According years without coming to trial. A few The result is an astonishing piece on people around the world. Heroes Park. tapes of nearly every concert Mar- to one insider, it is "only through the weeks ago in Los Angeles. Solar of work, the answer to all the "what Honors were showered on Marley ley dtd from 1973 onward. In· M ar I ey museum TJleae goodness of Rita's heart" that the Recordspresident Dick Griffey me its?" Wailers fans have been asking during his lifetime - and �ell after elude historic moments sucb u the for years. What if Bob, Bunny and Wailers hilve shared in any of Mar- diated a face-to-face session be his death on May 11,1981. V' Tomorrow, in Kingston, Tuff Smtle Jamaica concert held ln the . ley's royalties since he died. Now the tween Rita Marley and Sims, but no Peter, estranged since 1973, had got He was instrumental in arranging 'Gong, his former headquarters-cum· aftermath of the assassination at: Wailers are suing Rita for alleged results have been reported. back together again? What if Sly and a brief truce between rival factions studio on Old Hope Road, is being tempt on his life in December of unpaid shares in Marley's profits. A third lawsuit comes from one of Robbie had worked with tbe in the warring ghettos of Kingston in dedicated as a Marley museum. On 1976; the One Love Peace Concert Th�ir anger is increased by the fact the co-founders of the Wailers back Wailers? The current litigation is 1978, an action which won him, the display will be a recreation of a tiny in 1978, when he returned to Jamai; that Rita, who controls the label that in 1963, Bunny Wailer, who is suing tying up release of the project, and next year, a Medal for Peace from record shack be once owned on ca from voluntary exile abroad; ao. releases Wailers' music, has not put Rita over what he claims is the pre its on-again off-again status has the United Nations. It was presented Beeston Street; his guitar; tour ton's Am:r'ndla concert in Harvard out so much as a seven-inch single mature release of Music Les frustrated reggae fans since they to him officially "on behalf of 500 memorabilia; even the socks he Stadium in 1979, when be made ill\ by the band since Bob'h death. Rita's sontf>Jice Time from the long-term first beard of its existence. million Africans." wore on the road. It is expected to uncharacteristic series of speecb� side claims that nothing was ever Original Wai/ers Together Again In addition to not recording, the He headlined Zimbabwe's inde· become a prime tourist allraction. to the audience who had come to at: delivered by the b