Overview

What was it about Bob Marley that made him so popular in a world dominated by rock'n'roll? How is that he has not only remained the single most successful reggae artist ever, but has also become a shining beacon of radicalism and peace to generation after generation of fans across the globe? On May 11, 1981, a little after 11.30 in the morning, Bob Marley died. The man who introduced reggae to a worldwide audience, in his own lifetime he had already become a hero figure in the classic mythological sense. From immensely humble beginnings and with talent and religious belief his only weapons, the Jamaican recording artist applied himself with unstinting perseverance to spreading his prophetic musical message. And he had achieved it: only a year earlier, Bob Marley and The Wailers' tour of Europe had seen them perform to the largest audiences a musical act had up to that point experienced. Record sales of Marley's albums before his death were spectacular; in the years since his death they have become phenomenal, as each new generation discovers afresh the remarkable power of his music. Chris Salewicz, who had a sequence of adventures with Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1979, offers us a comprehensive and detailed account of Bob Marley's life and the world in which he grew up and came to dominate. Never-before-heard interviews with dozens of people who knew Marley are woven through a narrative that brings to life not only the Rastafari religion and the musical scene in Jamaica, but also the spirit of the man himself.

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<p> Chris Salewicz's account of the life of the late, great Robert Nesta Marley contains a raft of never-before published interviews with scores of people who knew the reggae singer. Indeed, Salewicz--a respected journalist whose Joe Strummer biography is also well worth a read--got to know Marley in 1979, and it's this authenticity that sets the book apart from other biographies about the man and the legend. From Bob's humble beginnings in Nine Miles to the years in Kingston and the fame, fortune and untimely death in 1981, Bob Marley: The Untold Story is the definitive account of the man and the myth. --Steve Richards, The Independent <p> Chris Salewicz, who worked for the NME throughout the 1970s, is well versed in the details of Marley's ascent. What makes his book worth reading, however, is his grasp of Marley's Jamaican background. Salewicz interviewed him in Kingston in 1979 and has clearly spent a lot of time since tracking down friends and relatives, many of whom have not been tapped before . . . [Salewicz] invades and illuminates Marley's privacy more effectively than previous biographers. --Robert Sandall, The Sunday Times (London) <p> Chris Salewicz's obvious knowledge . . . delivers the bulk of this literary epitaph on the rasta man. Those insights help the tome along at a reggae beat and, to Salewicz's credit, the reportage is evenly balanced between pro and con, making this an enjoyable, if at times disturbing, read . . . Whatever we know of Bob Marley's life will always remain open to conjecture, but at the very least in Salewicz's biography, we can take a step closer to what went on behind closed doors, in between the pleasure and pain. For Marley/ reggae fans, this work will probably stand the test, whereas for the uninitiated, it will serve as a meaty introduction to the 'legend' of Trench Town. --Teri Louise Kelly, The Independent Weekly (Australia)

Chris Salewicz's account of the life of the late, great Robert Nesta Marley contains a raft of never-before published interviews with scores of people who knew the reggae singer. Indeed, Salewicz--a respected journalist whose Joe Strummer biography is also well worth a read--got to know Marley in 1979, and it's this authenticity that sets the book apart from other biographies about the man and the legend. From Bob's humble beginnings in Nine Miles to the years in Kingston and the fame, fortune and untimely death in 1981, Bob Marley: The Untold Story is the definitive account of the man and the myth. --Steve Richards, The Independent Chris Salewicz, who worked for the NME throughout the 1970s, is well versed in the details of Marley's ascent. What makes his book worth reading, however, is his grasp of Marley's Jamaican background. Salewicz interviewed him in Kingston in 1979 and has clearly spent a lot of time since tracking down friends and relatives, many of whom have not been tapped before . . . [Salewicz] invades and illuminates Marley's privacy more effectively than previous biographers. --Robert Sandall, The Sunday Times (London) Chris Salewicz's obvious knowledge . . . delivers the bulk of this literary epitaph on the rasta man. Those insights help the tome along at a reggae beat and, to Salewicz's credit, the reportage is evenly balanced between pro and con, making this an enjoyable, if at times disturbing, read . . . Whatever we know of Bob Marley's life will always remain open to conjecture, but at the very least in Salewicz's biography, we can take a step closer to what went on behind closed doors, in between the pleasure and pain. For Marley/ reggae fans, this work will probably stand the test, whereas for the uninitiated, it will serve as a meaty introduction to the 'legend' of Trench Town. --Teri Louise Kelly, The Independent Weekly (Australia)

<p>&#8220;Chris Salewicz&#8217;s account of the life of the late, great Robert Nesta Marley contains a raft of never-before published interviews with scores of people who knew the reggae singer. Indeed, Salewicz&#8212;a respected journalist whose Joe Strummer biography is also well worth a read&#8212;got to know Marley in 1979, and it&#8217;s this authenticity that sets the book apart from other biographies about the man and the legend. From Bob&#8217;s humble beginnings in Nine Miles to the years in Kingston and the fame, fortune and untimely death in 1981, Bob Marley: The Untold Story is the definitive account of the man and the myth.&#8221; &#8212;Steve Richards, The Independent <p>&#8220;Chris Salewicz, who worked for the NME throughout the 1970s, is well versed in the details of Marley&#8217;s ascent. What makes his book worth reading, however, is his grasp of Marley&#8217;s Jamaican background. Salewicz interviewed him in Kingston in 1979 and has clearly spent a lot of time

Author Information

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, including Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer (Faber, 2007).

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