Bob Marley was more than just a musician—he was a cultural icon whose voice became synonymous with resistance, peace, and the pursuit of justice. Through timeless hits like “One Love,” “Redemption Song,” and “Get Up, Stand Up,” the Jamaican singer-songwriter used his music to unite people across continents and inspire generations to rise against oppression and embrace love. His distinct blend of reggae, rock, and spirituality carved a new path for protest music, and his messages of equality and human rights continue to echo decades after his death.
Born in the small village of Nine Mile in Jamaica, Marley rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His powerful lyrics and magnetic stage presence earned him worldwide acclaim and turned reggae into a global phenomenon. But just as Marley was reaching the pinnacle of his career, tragedy struck.
What did Bob Marley pass away from?
According to People, Marley had just performed a two-night show at Madison Square Garden with his band, The Wailers, and was touring nonstop, before a seizure would change the trajectory of his career. While playing soccer with friends in Central Park, Marley had a seizure which ultimately helped doctors discover his acral lentiginous melanoma, a rare skin cancer that appears on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, or under the nails. Cases of acral lentiginous melanoma make up just 2%–3% of U.S. melanoma cases—about 2,000 cases overall, according to Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine. By the time doctors discovered Marley’s cancer, it had tragically spread all across his body. Notably, the singer and activist was notified about his condition before the cancer spread.
People noted that the Jamaican superstar was diagnosed with the condition before his seizure after he paid a visit to the doctor to treat a lesion under his toe on his right foot. Marley was under the impression that the lesion developed due to a soccer injury, ”but an opinion from a second doctor who biopsied the spot revealed that it was cancer.”
Doctors recommended amputating the infected toe, but Marley wanted to go a different route. The singer had the nail and some of the impacted tissue from the area removed for a skin graft, but that wasn’t enough to fight off his cancer. Marley went years without medical treatment following the surgery, which led to even more damage. In 1980, the singer was given only a few months to live after his cancer spread to his brain, lungs and organs, but he remained hopeful that his health would rebound.
“Him say, ‘Listen, we’re gonna fight it, all right? Regardless of what the doctors might say or what they might do, we’re gonna fight it. ’Cause a Rasta never give up,’” the superstar’s physician, Dr. Carlton “Pee Wee” Fraser revealed in 2012’s Marley.
His legacy would live on.
Following his final performance in Pittsburgh, Marley passed away on May 11, 1981, in Miami at just 36 years old. Though his life was tragically cut short, his influence only grew stronger in the years that followed. In 1994, Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a recognition of the indelible mark he left on global music and culture, according to his website. His impact was further cemented in December 1999, when Time Magazine named his 1977 album Exodus the Album of the Century, while the BBC honored his anthem “One Love” as the Song of the Millennium.
Marley’s popularity is reflected in the ongoing success of Legend, the greatest hits compilation released in 1984. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has consistently sold more than 250,000 copies each year and ranks among a rare group, only the 17th album to surpass 10 million in U.S. sales since SoundScan began tracking in 1991.
Though he was never nominated for a Grammy during his lifetime, Marley received the Recording Academy’s Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. This prestigious honor is awarded to artists who have made lasting contributions of artistic significance to the recording industry. That same year, the documentary Rebel Music, directed by Jeremy Marre and chronicling Marley’s life and career, received a Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Music Video.
Also in 2001, Marley’s legacy was commemorated in Hollywood, where he was awarded the 2,171st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He joined the ranks of other music legends such as Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder, and The Temptations.
In 2006, Marley’s presence was further honored in Brooklyn, New York—home to one of the largest Caribbean communities in the United States—when an eight-block stretch of Church Avenue was officially renamed Bob Marley Boulevard. The tribute was made possible through the efforts of New York City Councilwoman Yvette D. Clarke, highlighting how deeply Marley’s message continues to impact communities far from his Jamaican roots.
SEE ALSO:
Watch Bob Marley’s Final Trip To Africa To Perform Live In Zimbabwe
‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Review: A Legendary Life Told In Cinematic Cliff Notes
What Exactly Did Bob Marley Die From?
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