
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981) was a
Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the
ska,
rocksteady and
reggae bands
The Wailers (1964–1974) and
Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974–1981). Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited for helping spread both
Jamaican music and the
Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience.
[1]Marley's best known hits include "
I Shot the Sheriff", "
No Woman, No Cry", "
Could You Be Loved", "
Stir It Up", "
Jamming", "
Redemption Song", "
One Love" and, together with The Wailers, "
Three Little Birds",
[2] as well as the posthumous releases "
Buffalo Soldier" and "
Iron Lion Zion". The compilation album,
Legend (1984), released three years after his death, is reggae's best-selling album, being 10 times
Platinum (
Diamond) in the U.S.,
[3] and selling 20 million copies worldwide.
[4][5]