Redemption songs
The life and music of the first reggae superstar
Few artists can lay claim to representing an entire music genre: singer-songwriter, guitarist Bob Marley is one. His name is synonymous with the indigenous Jamaican off-beat music of reggae, a local genre he took from his beloved island homeland to the world. The first reggae superstar, the dreadlocked, ganja-smoking Marley became a musical ambassador not only for the rhythmic Caribbean music, but also for themes of peace, revolution, poverty, spirituality, love, and the Rastafarian philosophy. With his life cruelly cut short by cancer at only 36, Marley’s entire recording career spanned only 19 years—during which time he created a canon of work which is more popular today than ever before. His greatest hits collection, Legend, is by far the best-selling reggae album of all time, while his 1977 opus, Exodus, was named Album Of The Century by Time magazine in 1999. Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
The Music Icons series:
Each title contains a painstaking selection of approximately 150 portraits, colorful posters and record covers, rare concert photos, and previously unpublished candid photos. These images—each matching an important biographical event—are accompanied by text tracing the progression of the subject’s life and career and complemented by lists of essential recordings and selected chart rankings.
About the Series:
More bang for your buck! "... a fast-food, high-energy fix on the topic at hand." The New York Times Book Review
The life and music of the first reggae superstar
Few artists can lay claim to representing an entire music genre: singer-songwriter, guitarist Bob Marley is one. His name is synonymous with the indigenous Jamaican off-beat music of reggae, a local genre he took from his beloved island homeland to the world. The first reggae superstar, the dreadlocked, ganja-smoking Marley became a musical ambassador not only for the rhythmic Caribbean music, but also for themes of peace, revolution, poverty, spirituality, love, and the Rastafarian philosophy. With his life cruelly cut short by cancer at only 36, Marley’s entire recording career spanned only 19 years—during which time he created a canon of work which is more popular today than ever before. His greatest hits collection, Legend, is by far the best-selling reggae album of all time, while his 1977 opus, Exodus, was named Album Of The Century by Time magazine in 1999. Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
The Music Icons series:
Each title contains a painstaking selection of approximately 150 portraits, colorful posters and record covers, rare concert photos, and previously unpublished candid photos. These images—each matching an important biographical event—are accompanied by text tracing the progression of the subject’s life and career and complemented by lists of essential recordings and selected chart rankings.
About the Series:
More bang for your buck! "... a fast-food, high-energy fix on the topic at hand." The New York Times Book Review
About the editor and author:
Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees both work in London's music business before co-founding the Media Research & Information Bureau (MRIB) in 1981. In addition to writing over 20 music and media-related books, they are voting members for the Grammy Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The duo has also created and produced numerous successful UK and US radio and television series, including the “Network Chart” show and CNN International’s “World Beat” and “The Music Room.”
Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees both work in London's music business before co-founding the Media Research & Information Bureau (MRIB) in 1981. In addition to writing over 20 music and media-related books, they are voting members for the Grammy Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The duo has also created and produced numerous successful UK and US radio and television series, including the “Network Chart” show and CNN International’s “World Beat” and “The Music Room.”
