On May 11, 1981 : Bob Marley dies
at the age of 36.
On May 11, 1981 Bob Marley died in the Cedars of Lebanon hospital
in Miami. He had been suffering from cancer for some time, and
was actually attempting to return to Jamaica from the clinic in
Bavaria where he had been receiving treatment.
Born in a small rural village in the hills
of St Ann, Jamaica he was subsequently moved by his family to
Kingston where he spent much of his adolescence in the ghetto.
It was here in Trenchtown that he acquired his nickname 'Tuff
Gong', a name he later used for both his recording studio > and his record label. He remained in touch with the people of
the ghetto throughout his life, giving away large sums of money
to whatever he considered a genuine request or worthwhile cause.
When he moved 'uptown' to 56 Hope Road, Kingston, he had an open
door policy where people from the poorest parts of Kingston would
congregate, play football, smoke herb, and play music.
 When a
reporter asked Bob how it felt to have moved up from the ghetto
Bob replied 'I didn't move from the ghetto, I moved the ghetto'.
Bob's driving force was having the opportunity to spread the message
of peace and unity both through his music and by giving interviews,
which he rarely if ever refused. He shunned material gain.
The last words he spoke to his son Ziggy were 'Money can't buy
life'.
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