For those of you who don't know, today (February 6th) is Bob Marley's birthday. He would have been 64 years old today.
Marley - born to a white Scottish Jamaican father and a black Jamaican mother - was reggae's first international superstar, and, to this day, is perhaps reggae's most recognizable icon. His work, and that of other reggae stars, had a major influence on other musical genres such as punk, new wave, and hip-hop.
In 2001, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Marley #11 on its 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time list. In 2004, Marley posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
One can only wonder how far he would have taken reggae had he lived. May he rest in peace.
Incidentally, Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme is currently shooting a documentary that will chronicle the life and career of Bob Marley. It's scheduled for release one year from today - Feburary 6th, 2010 - on what would have been his 65th birthday.
Official Bob Marley Web site: http://web.bobmarley.com/index.jsp
Bob Marley's Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley
