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0 Singer Bob Marley Scores Black History Honor

  • Music
  • by Hugh Smith
  • 11/02/2006

 

Bob Marley's former north London home was recently honored with a heritage plaque to celebrate the reggae legend's residence in the United Kingdom.

The plaque describes Marley as a "singer, lyricist and Rastafarian icon."

Robert Nesta Marley was born in St. Ann, Jamaica, February 6, 1945. He spread the message and spiritual passion of reggae music throughout the world for three decades.

On May 11, 1981, 36 year old Marley passed away from cancer in Miami, Florida. By 1990, a national holiday was created in Jamaica to commemorate his birth.

The reggae icon sold 9 million copies of his album Legend. In 1996, Legend was certified as the best-selling reggae album of all time.

Marley's house in Kingston, Jamaica, now known as the Bob Marley Museum, is a big tourist attraction for black history scholars as well as vacationers to the Caribbean island.

The Marley legacy continues today. Bob's youngest son, Damian, became the first reggae artist in 2006 to win a Grammy Award outside of the reggae category for his best Urban/Alternative performance: "Welcome to Jamrock" single.

Damian Marley also lead the pack with six honors at this year's 2006 International Reggae and World Music Awards held in New York City.