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This week marks the 30th anniversary of the death of reggae music icon Bob Marley. To honor his lifetime of work, Oscar-award winning film director, Kevin McDonald, (“Last King of Scotland”) presented a rare documentary called “Marley” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Marley was born in 1945 to an 18-year-old black mother and a 50-year-old white father named Captain Norval Marley, who was with the British West Indian Regiment. Living in the shantytowns of Jamaica, Marley rarely saw his father.

Discovering music in his teens, Marley partnered with friend Neville O’ Riley Livingston, and they started a group called the Wailing Wailers (though it was first “The Teenagers”). The boys were inspired by music they heard from artists like Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Curtis Mayfield. With the backing of a top independent label, Marley and his band members released top quality albums, which was a first for a reggae band from Jamaica. As international sensations, they made 1973 hits “Get Up, Stand Up” and “I Shot the sheriff” and 1974’s “No Woman, No Cry.” They were taken off a tour bill once because they drew too much attention away from the headliner.

After political change in Jamaica increased the push of the Rastafari movement, Marley got more involved in music with a message. His mother had encouraged him to move to the United States, but his visit was short lived.

With a known message that was against the Jamaican governments goals, Marley called for a free concert on Dec. 5, 1976 at Kingston’s National Heroes Park to promote peace. The night before, he was shot and wounded by gunmen. He went on stage the next day to let them known he was only wounded.

In 1978, Marley was awarded the Medal of Peace by the United Nations. He went on to record the hits “Is This Love” and “Redemption Song” in the next two years.  Unfortunately, he lost his battle with cancer on May 11, 1981 while trying to get home to Jamaica.