Robert Nesta Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in Nine Miles, Saint Ann, Jamaica.

It was in 1963 that Marley started his professional career when joining Neville Livingston (later to be known as Bunny Wailer), Peter Tosh, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith founded to form The Teenagers. They later changed the name to the Wailing Rudeboys and then to the Wailing Wailers. 

They were then discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd. It was then that they finally reached their legendary name - The Wailers.

By 1969, Marley, Tosh and Livingstone had fully embraced Rastafarianism, which greatly influence Marley's music in particular. The Wailers collaborated with Lee Scratch Perry, which resulted in some of The Wailers' finest tracks including "Soul Rebel", "Duppy Conqueror", "400 Years" and "Small Axe." The collaboration ended bitterly when Perry, thinking the records were his, sold them in England without The Wailers consent. However, this brought the Wailers' music to the attention of Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records.

In 1974, Tosh and Livingston left the Wailers to start solo careers. Marley later formed the band Bob Marley and the Wailers with his wife Rita forming the back-up singing groups The I-Trees. Marley had his international breakthrough in 1975 with his first hit outside Jamaica, with a live version of "No Woman, No Cry" from the Live! album.

This period saw the release of ground-breaking albums including Natty Dread, Rastaman Vibration.  In 1976, during a period of spiralling political violence in Jamaica, an attempt was made on Marley's life. He was well known for supporting the legalization of marijuana and advocated for Pan-Africanism.

Marley left for England, where he lived in self-exile for two years. In England, Marley produced Exodus, which remained on the British charts for 56 straight weeks. These successes introduced reggae music to the Western world for the first time and established the beginning of Marley's international status.

Returning to Jamaica in 1978, he continued work and released "Survival" in 1979, which was followed by a successful European tour. In 1980, he was the only foreign artist to participate in the independence ceremony of Zimbabwe. 

It was a time of great success for Marley and he started an American tour to reach African-Americans in the US and played two shows at Madison Square Garden. But it was around this time that Marley fell ill.

Bob Marley passed on May 11, 1981. He was 36 years old.

He was posthumously honoured by Jamaica soon after with a designated Order of Merit by his nation.

The greatest hits album Legend was released in 1984 and became the best-selling reggae album of all time.

Marley also ranks as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 75 million records worldwide. 

In 1994, he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

His legacy continues with a timeless catalogue of music.