Bob Marley Died On This Date In 1981

Reggae legend Bob Marley died on this date in 1981.  He was just 36 years old. In 1977, Marley was diagnosed with "acral lentiginous melanoma," a type of skin cancer not linked to sun exposure. It started in his toe, apparently, but later spread to his lungs and brain, ultimately killing him.  It's not the cause of death you'd expect for a young music legend, is it? Until I read his original 1981 obituary this morning, I had been under the impression that Bob Marley had died from complications after being shot in a mysterious, but presumably politically-motivated, assassination attempt in his native Jamaica.  In fact, that incident had occurred two years before, in 1979.  


You can watch a 2 minute clip of Bob Marley talking about marijuana during an interview by clicking HERE. He doesn't say anything on the topic that will surprise anyone, and he expresses himself in a way that borders on self-parody.  ("Herb is the healing of the nation... Herb is a plant.  I mean, herb's so good for everyt'ing.")  But I hadn't heard his speaking voice in many years, so it struck me today how borderline incomprehensible his Jamaican accent was to my ear.