Today in Music History - Feb. 6
The Canadian Press
2021-02-06
Today in Music History for Feb. 6:
In 1945, Bob Marley, the first superstar of reggae music, was born in Rhoden Hall, Jamaica. In 1963, Marley formed a vocal quintet, "The Wailers," who achieved some success, but little financial reward, in their native country, before disbanding in 1966. "The Wailers" reunited in 1968, but for several years seemed no closer than before to establishing steady careers. Then, in 1972, Chris Blackwell signed them to Island Records and advanced them the money to record an album in Jamaica. The result was "Catch a Fire," the first album by "Bob Marley and the Wailers"” to be marketed outside Jamaica. It was the start of their climb to international fame, aided by Eric Clapton's hit single of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Over the next several years, Marley and the Wailers were largely responsible for the worldwide popularity of reggae music. Marley became a superstar in Jamaica, where he survived an assassination attempt in 1976. In 1980, a tour of the U.S. was cancelled when Marley collapsed on stage during a concert. He had developed brain and lung cancer, which killed him in May 1981. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.