Bob Marley

One year later Bob bumped into one of his mother's friends. He told her that he had not received the education his father had intended for him. She told his mother and soon Bob was reunited with his mother. A couple of years later Bob and his mother moved to Trench Town (West-Kingston) because his mother was looking for a job. Bob Marley loved the fast life in the big city, as well the music of Fats Domino and Ray Charles.

One of Bob's friends, known as "Bunny" was into music and he and Bob, with the help of Trenchtown's famous singer, Joe Higgs, perfected their vocal abilities. It was during one of these informal lessons for aspiring vocalists that Bob and Bunny met Peter McIntosh (who later became known as Peter Tosh) another youth with big musical ambitions. In 1962, Marley was introduced to local music entrepreneur, Leslie Kong. Bob recorded several tracks with Kong, and his first album was released on Beverley Records. The album received little airplay and attention.

In 1964 Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingstone (alias Bunny Wailer), Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry, Constantine 'Dream Vision' Walker and Bob Marley formed the band The Wailers. Cherry and Junior left the band after a few recording sessions. For the recording of their songs they used ska musicians of Coxsone Dodd's Studio One. Bob Marley acted as the leader of the band and he wrote most of the material. The Wailers became very popular in 1965: they played full houses. On the Coxsone-label they recorded several hits: Simmer Down, It Hurts To Be Alone, Rule Them Rudie.

It was February 10, 1966 when Bob Marley married Rita Anderson. The day after, Bob went to the United States to visit his mother and her new husband. During Bob's stay in the States, he worked as a welder, only to finance his real ambition: music. During that year, the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie had made a state visit to Jamaica. He was the leader of the increasingly growing Rastafarian movement/religion. Marley was increasingly drawn towards this movement. The Wailers changed their music from ska to rocksteady now known as reggae.