Bob Marley
Bob Marley on Jamaican stamp printed c. 1995, photo by Neftali/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Robert Nesta Marley
Date of Birth: 6 February, 1945
Place of Birth: Nine Mile, Saint Ann, Jamaica
Date of Death: May 11, 1981
Place of Death: Miami, Florida, U.S.
Ethnicity: Jamaican [English, African]
Bob Marley was a legendary Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist.
He was the son of Cedella Editha (Malcolm) and Norval Sinclair Marley, a marine officer and plantation overseer. His parents were born in Jamaica, his father in Clarendon. His father had English ancestry. His mother was black. He was quoted saying:
Me don’t dip on the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me dip on God’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.
Bob was married to singer Rita Marley (born Alpharita Constantia Anderson), until his death. Bob had eleven children (at least), including musicians Ziggy Marley and Damian Marley, and entrepreneur and professional football player Rohan Marley. He was the grandfather of musicians Bambaata Marley, Jo Mersa Marley, Skip Marley, Selah Marley, who is also a model, and YG Marley.
He was baptized by the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church on November 4, 1980 in Kingston, Jamaica.
Bob’s paternal grandfather was Albert Thomas Marley (the son of Frederick Marley and Hannah Jane Tiltman). Albert was English, born in South Weald, Brentwood, Essex, England, to parents from Rye, Sussex. Frederick was the son of Thomas Marley and Jane Simms/Sims. Hannah was the daughter of Richard Tiltman and Mary Ann Moore.
Bob’s paternal grandmother was named Ellen Ann Bloomfield (the daughter of Richard Bloomfield).
Bob’s maternal grandfather was Omeriah/Amariah Malcolm (the son of Robert Malcolm and Katherine Bygrave). Omeriah was born in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.
Bob’s maternal grandmother was Alberta/Albertha Willoughby/Whilby (the daughter of David/Daniel Willoughby and Hannah/Anna Downs). Daniel was the son of Richard Whilby and Jeanette.
There are claims on the internet that Bob had some kind of Jewish ancestry, sometimes cited as Syrian Jewish, through his father, or, sometimes, his mother. There is no documented evidence that Bob had Jewish ancestry. The Bloomfield family line from which Bob descended, a famous family in Jamaica, is sometimes cited as having been originally Jewish; this is almost certainly false.
Sources: Genealogies of Bob Marley – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com
I don’t why people believe there are no White Jamaicans they are wrong there is White Jamaicans in Jamaica I’m a Eurasian Filipino there is no such thing as White Filipinos anymore they are long gone there is full blooded Filipinos left still in Phillippines the unmixed Spanish Filipinos where the White Filipinos they where generations of Spanish people born in the Phillippines.
“He was quoted saying “Me don’t dip on the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me dip on God’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.” -Bob Marley If only every biracial person thought like that this world would be a better place! Bob Marley may have not used proper English in that quote,and may have spoken with a thick Jamaican accent but that didn’t make his wise words any less powerful,or meaningful! Let’s love one another for once! Bob Marley experienced prejudice because of his ethnic make up but it didn’t turn him into a self hating biracial man,or a fake. He was who he was,and always kept it real. He put God 1st,and didn’t allow others to dictate who he was,or how he thought. He had this great sense of himself he was very loyal to his Jamaican nationality I think he was more deeply devoted to matters of national origin then he was of race.
@jasmine:After the way you’ve conducted yourself today,your going to suggest how others should act.Pretty much evrrything you’ve said on the site today has been wrong,and you have a nasty attitude.
Such bullshit! Marley was an Afro-Centrist and so is the Rastafarian religion which he was a strong advocate for. Also his father had African ancestry himself so Marley was more black as all Jamaicans. They are a mixed-race nation.
He was bullied but he still loved his black side more and put black shoe-polish in his hair to make it more “African”
I would never worship the black race and idk why he did!
Marley sr was white
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norval_Marley
@andrew
Yes he was white,but like I’ve tried to show you,that doesn’t mean you don’t have other bloodlines in you.I’m not saying Bob’s dad was actually part anything,just saying
@ConfusedBreed
(I would never worship the black race and idk why he did!)
Maybe it’s because he actually liked that part of himself
Well I am native-canadian, latina & black and proud to be..i am actually a very. Beautiful mix.
latino is not a race
He’s a great singer.
No woman, no cry!