In 1958, at the age of 13, Marley tried his hand in Ska music but he eventually fell off. By 14 he was at it again. This time he left home in pursuit of a career in music. In Kingston, he worked under the influence of Joe Higgs who helped him to improve his singing skills. A local producer found Marley and liked his voice, giving him the opportunity to record his first song called Judge Not, which was released in 1962. From this marley got a vision for the future and decided to join forces with some of his closest friends. Together they formed the group known as “The Teenagers”. Members of the group included Peter McIntosh, Bunny Livingston, Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso, Cherry Smith, and of course Bob Marley. Together they recorded their first single which became a hit in Jamaica. However, the group didn’t last long. Smith, Kelso and Braithwaite left the group, and due to financial difficulties Marley decided to migrate to the US, where his mother resided. Approximately eight months after marrying his wife, Marley decided to return to Jamaica to reconnect with the band.
Upon reuniting with McIntosh and Livingston, they formed a group called, “The Wailers”. The Wailers became a smash in 1972, when they were signed with Island records and recorded their first album Catch a Fire. From this point on the group began touring in Britain and the US. later that year, the group recorded a second album, Burnin’, which featured one of Marley’s most iconic songs I Shot the Sheriff, charting at #1 in the US. By the time they released their 1974 album Natty Dread, McIntosh and Livingston had left the group in pursuit of their solo career. The album spoke to the political tension that was building in Jamaica between the People’s National Party (PNP), and Jamaica’s Labour Party. That same year Marley released another album, Rasta Revolution. With high political tension already permeating the air, this album was taken out of context assuming Marley endorsed the PNP.
Marley didn’t allow the social destruction of his home country stop him from spreading wisdom to the world. He continued recording albums and touring the world to make a living. In 1976, while preparing for a concert in Jamaica, Marley was a target of a shooting. It is said to be associated with his political affiliations, but no one knows for sure. Being the trailblazer he was, Marley continued to perform at the concert days later, bearing gunshot wounds. After the concert he left Jamaica, never to return again.