9/13/2019 Bob Marley Like A Star
In Jamaica, the spirit of Bob Marley is inescapable: it permeates the Caribbean island nation, even its football pitches — a sign of the reggae legend's passion for the sport.After Marley's death, his children picked up the torch and the country's women's team, who have qualified for their first-ever World Cup this summer in France, owe a lot to the musician's daughter Cedella.' Two things he loved were music and soccer,' says Allan 'Skill' Cole, a one-time local football star who befriended the music icon in the 1960s.Cole told Agence France-Press (AFP) that Marley was a football 'fanatic,' and liked to organize pick-up matches with his bandmates between concerts.Cole, who is now a 68-year-old with fine gray dreadlocks, was a teenager at the time.' He wanted to do everything that we did.
Bob Marley, like Elvis Presley, was his music's greatest star — a bold, charismatic performer who expanded greatly reggae's popularity and whose loss at age 36 left the infectious yet hauntingly mystical Jamaican music with a massive void. Born in Jamaica of a British Army captain and a Jamaican.
We trained together, we ran in the morning. The only thing he didn't like was going to the gym,' Cole said at a hotel in the Jamaican capital Kingston.Just a few minutes away, at the Bob Marley Museum, among the portraits of the musician that line the walls is a photo of him on a football pitch, chest squared and socks high, 1970s style. 'If I were to play him on a team, I would put him on defensehe was fearless, he loved to tackle,' said Cole, who eventually became Marley's tour manager and even was credited with co-writing some songs, including 'War.' Football is even intertwined with the story surrounding Marley's death in 1981 of skin cancer, which first developed under his toenail. During a game, Marley was tackled and injured his toe.
A closer look revealed the rare form of melanoma. Many including Cole believe that an initial infection caused the cancer, even if no medical evidence backs up the theory.' That's where the toe first gave signs' that something was wrong,' he said.'
But we didn't take it very seriously then.' In the name of the fatherMarley's passion for football runs through his family.In 1998, his eldest son Ziggy recorded the official anthem of the 'Reggae Boyz,' Jamaica's men's national football squad, when they qualified for their first World Cup. In 2014, Cedella Marley came to the rescue of the women's team when their program was axed by the national federation and they even slipped off FIFA's official rankings list. Thanks to Cedella, the 'Reggae Girlz' quickly regained sponsors and media attention - and launched themselves right into the race for the 2019 World Cup. 'She had a vision from her father. I'm fortunate to be part of it. The players are the same way, they talk about it all the time,' said head coach Hue Menzies, with an air of reverence.'
She stuck her neck out for us. She has been here from day one.' In Jamaica, such a gesture does not go unnoticed.
On May 19, at the team's last home game before the World Cup begins, the announcer at the National Stadium in Kingston thanked Cedella a businesswoman, singer and fashion designer at least a half-dozen times.Marley, who was in the stands, told AFP after the game a 3-1 victory for the home team over Panama that her passion for the sport came from her dad.Football 'has been in my life since I was born, so it was only natural to be a part of it,' the 51-year-old said after embracing the playersand consoling the losing squad.' They needed help, they are women, they were being told they couldn't play a sport that they love. So we got involved and here we are!'
Who would want to vandalize the king of reggae star on the Hollywood walk of fame. No one knows for sure but someone took a sledge hammer and destroys the Bob Marley star in Hollywood California.The authorities are currently investigating but this happened just days after even though the oldest son of Bob has won 7 Grammy Awards. Many in the reggae community took Damian Marley’s statement as a disrespect to the truly greats of reggae like Sizzla and Beres Hammond who have won no Grammy Awards.Ana Martinez, vice president for the Walk of Fame at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, told that when the person responsible for the disrespectful act is found, they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.“The cops are investigating this one. Every once in a while we have incidents like this, but we have no idea why anyone could have vandalized this star.
I produced the ceremony when this star was unveiled and that is why I was so ‘ticked off’ when it happened. I kept thinking why would someone do this? I just want the family and everyone to know that as soon as it happened our guys went in to start the repairs. The brass pieces including the name plate will be re-used. It will take a few days to be cast, then it has to cure and be polished before it is replaced. So it should be back in place in about a week or so,” Martinez told 18 Karat Reggae.Martinez also took to twitter to voice her disgust at the distasteful act.“Why would anyone do this to Bob Marley’s star? Help me understand.
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The Walk of Fame is a State registered Historic landmark! This is considered vandalism to a State Historic Landmark. It will be repaired by the Hollywood Historic Trust and will cost nearly US$3,000 to repair it,” she tweeted.Bob Marley is considered the king of reggae by many and is the only Jamaican entertainer with a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
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