Bob Marley: The Untold Story - Hardcover

Salewicz, Chris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0865479992 ISBN 13: 9780865479999

Publisher: Faber & Faber, 2010

Synopsis

What was it about Bob Marley that made him so popular in a world dominated by rock 'n' roll? How is it that he not only has remained the single most successful reggae artist ever, but also has become a shining beacon of radicalism and peace to generation after generation of fans?

The man who introduced reggae to a worldwide audience, Marley was a hero figure in the classic, mythological sense. From immensely humble beginnings, with talent and religious belief his only weapons, the Jamaican recording artist applied himself with unstinting perseverance to spreading his prophetic musical message across the globe. In 1980, on tour, Bob Marley and the Wailers played to the largest audiences a musical act had ever experienced in Europe. Less than a year later, Marley would die, only thirty-six years old. Sales of Marley's albums before his death were spectacular; in the years since he died, they have been phenomenal.

Chris Salewicz, the bestselling author of Redemption Song, the classic biography of Joe Strummer, interviewed Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1979. Now, for the first time, in this thorough, detailed account of Marley's life and the world in which he grew up and which he came to dominate, Salewicz brings to life not only the Rastafari religion and the musical scene in Jamaica, but also the spirit of the man himself. Interviews with dozens of people who knew Marley and have never spoken before are woven through the narrative as Salewicz seeks to explain why Marley has become such an enigmatic and heroic figure, loved by millions all over the world.

About this title

Review:

'Chris Salewicz is well versed in the details of Marley's accent... worth reading' - The Times

'Essential biography that also traces the evolution of rebel music. It's the author's owm conjuring of events - that make this book so valuable' - Mojo

'Where the veteran music journalist Chris Salewicz provides new insights is in his portrait of the musician's complex and troubled personality. Drawing on extensive interviews with those closest to Marley, he reveals a character afflicted by insecurity and instability' - Times Literary Supplement

'The definitive account of the man and the myth' - The Independent

About the Author:

CHRIS SALEWICZ's writing on music and popular culture has appeared in publications around the globe. He is the author of more than a dozen books, includingRedemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer (Faber, 2007).

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0865479992
• ISBN 13: 9780865479999
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 420