1. 1981: Music legend Bob Marley dies
Last known photo of Bob before his Passing.
Photo: thesun
Photo: widewalls
Today was a very sad day back in 1981 when one of the most, if not the most, influential musicians died at the young age of 36 years old. Robert Nesta Marley originated the reggae music genre almost single-handedly with the help of his two childhood friends, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. I will never forget the first time I heard Bob as even a young child and immediately found myself dancing and “bobbing” my head to the somewhat intoxicating beat of his music. Marley dropped out of school at just 14 years old to pursue his music interests and by the time he reached the age of 36, he had become one of the best selling artists of all time with over 75 million albums sold. Marley was a known Rastafari so there was always a “peace and love” vibe in all of his music but in the same breath Bob didn’t hesitate to get political and even somewhat controversial with some of his later albums. In 1977, Marley was diagnosed with cancer in his big toe, unfortunately due to an old soccer injury, that over time had spread into his brain, liver and lungs. Its terrible to think his death could have been avoided if he had access to proper medical attention. On this day in 1981, reggae music legend Bob Marley passes away in a Miami Hospital. His name lives on through his music as well as his wife Rita and a reported eleven children. He was buried in at a Chapel near his birthplace in Jamaica and apparently was buried with his red Les Paul Guitar.
