Happy Video Birthday 2009 to the Prophet Bob Marley

by Robert Wilkinson

Today marks the birthday of Robert Nesta Marley, a genuine prophet of the religion known as Rastafari. While not the first one to bring reggae music to Babylon and the rest of our world, he was certainly the first Jamaican superstar, capable of moving millions. I had the blessing of getting up close when he performed in Austin about 30 years ago, and have never forgotten that concert for all kinds of reasons. Today I have some really great video of live performances from several different eras of his career, easily distinguished by the length of his dreads.

The Wailers, composed of Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh, set the all-time standard for Reggae music. After the Wailers dissolved, each had major solo careers, and set styles into motion that influenced countless artists for generations to come.

In a strange twist of irony, February 6th is also the birthday of Ronald Reagan. As I cannot imagine two individuals more disparate than Bob Marley and Ronald Reagan, I'll have to file this as just one more of those cosmic jokes in history, along with Jimi Hendrix, Caroline Kennedy, and "Buffalo Bob" Smith of Howdy Doody fame all sharing November 27th.

Anyway, I have some great videos of Bob in concert, so on with the show. First, the live performances!

Here's an awesome version of Bob Marley doing "Redemption Song." Another solo version of Redemption Song here.

One of the marching songs of all time! Bob performing Get up, Stand up live in concert.

Bob's first major hit outside of Jamaica, the ever-popular No woman no cry live in 1979. Another version here.

Here's the song Eric Clapton made into a hit that awakened even more of the world to the power of Bob Marley's music. Bob Marley live in concert performing I Shot The Sheriff.

The powerful Africa Unite.

Here's Bob in concert doing his great composition Stir it up, with another version here.

Here's great footage of Bob performing at the One Love peace concert in 1978. This was a major concert that tried to bring harmony and reconciliation to Jamaica's political process.

We found him performing War, with another version of Bob performing War/No More Trouble! here.

Here are a couple of interviews that may help clarify some things about his philosophy and religion. First, Bob Marley on Jamaican Music, followed by the Bob Marley interview on marijuana.

We now move on to a couple of non-performance music videos with stills.

Here's Redemption Song, and here's a good version of Concrete Jungle.

Jah Rastafari! Happy Birthday, Bob. You would have been 64, and died way too young, but I suppose that's one element in the legend of many immortals.