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Introduction The music genre of reggae has become indelibly linked with artist Bob Marley.
To this day, nearly two decades after his death from cancer, Bob's legacy lives
on in his popular songs of oppression, racial strife and resistance. Yet, his
heritage is also carried on by the people who he touched. Like any rock star,
famed musician or celebrity, women surrounded him wherever he went. "That Bob
was not a one woman man was common knowledge," says Don Taylor, though Bob had
been married to Rita Anderson throughout his climb to the top rungs of the musical
ladder (Taylor). The purpose of this paper is to explore the details of Bob's
marriage to Rita, his longstanding relationship with former Miss World Cindy
Breakespeare, his trysts with other women, and the children that were born out
of his sexual escapades and to look also at how Bob's behavior with women typified
Rastafarian beliefs and customs. Bob's Marriage with Rita Alpharita Constantia Anderson was born in Cuba to Leroy Anderson and Cynthia
"Bada" Jarrett. At the age of three months, Rita, as she was known, immigrated
to Jamaica. After her parents relocated to Europe, the girl was raised by her
strict aunt Viola on Greenwich Park Road in Trench Town, Kingston (Boot). It
was here that Rita first encountered the trio of Bob, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer
as they passed by her home while walking on their way to Coxsone One Studio.
Rita had heard the Wailer's music but it was not until a friend accompanied
her to the studio that she was officially introduced to the group. Once it was
learned that Rita was a singer in addition to being a nurse, an audition was
arranged immediately for her group, the Soulettes. The audition for the Soulettes went so well that Bob was assigned to the group's
management in addition to helping them find new material. Bob was said to be
very strict with the trio, which consisted of Rita, her cousin Constantine "Dream"
Walker, and Marlene "Precious" Gifford, to the point where the group came to
dislike him (White). Much to Rita's dismay however, Bunny pointed out that Bob
was in love with her. Soon after, Bob started sending her love notes. Rita was
confused by this display of emotion since Bob held a strict air in public. She
approached him with her confusion, and the result was a two hour long discussion
that brought the two closer together. During one discussion, Bob explained his night visions of duppies, or ghosts,
to Rita. Because the girl vehemently disbelieved him, he invited her to stay
with him in his bed to witness the apparitions. Rita accepted the offer, and
did indeed witness the specters Bob had so accurately described, but a sexual
relationship was not consummated at that time (White). By then, Rita was still living with her stern aunt. But that didn't prevent
Rita from offering her lover a place to stay. Bob accepted, though he was forced
to sneak in after her cousin went to sleep and leave before anyone awoke. Furthermore,
Bob had to share a bed with Rita and her cousin, and be careful not to awake
Sharon, whose crib remained close to the bed. Eventually, Viola discovered the
nocturnal happenings between the lovers. Thinking that Bob could act as Sharon's
father figure, Viola invited Bob to live with Rita in a shed behind the house.
The two continued their relationship into 1965, when Bob's mother Cedella Booker
requested that Bob visit her in the United States, particularly Delaware where
she now resided. Rita and Bob agreed that Bob should go but Bob insisted on
getting married before he left so that should he like his new surroundings,
it would be easier for Rita to immigrate. This would later be a source of pain
and misunderstanding in their marriage. Rita did not want to get married at this time for several reasons. Bob's mother
did not know her. Rita's parents weren't there for approval. She did not believe
that Viola would accept the responsibility of approving their marriage in place
of Rita's parents. Furthermore, what if Viola said no to their union? None of these reasons prevented Bob from attaining his goal. Dressed in "dark
slacks and crisp white shirt" Bob asked Viola for permission to marry Rita (White).
Though Viola initially shrugged off the responsibility of giving permission,
Bob's persistence paid off. He claimed he loved Rita and intended to be the
father of Rita's children with or without Viola's approval. Consequently, Viola
approved. At 11 a.m. February 10, 1966, after dating for nearly a year, the couple got
married in the home of an Anderson family friend. Bob was 21 and his bride was
19 at the time. Within days, Bob left for Delaware. Cedella Booker was not aware of her son's marriage until much later. Bob only
revealed to his mother that he loved Rita. Later, he gushed about her beauty
and loving personality. But soon Cedella noticed that Bob was not taking the
calls of local girls. Rita must be more than a girlfriend, Cedella thought.
Cedella advised her son to go out and have a good time while he was still young
and unmarried. Only then did her son reveal that he and Rita were indeed married
(White). It was during this time that Haile Selassie visited Jamaica and deeply impacted
young Rita. She quickly wrote to Bob, claiming to be interested in the teachings
of Jamaicans. It was with Rita's influence that Bob embraced the religious beliefs
of Rastafarianism. Perhaps Rita was unaware at the time, but the life of a rasta
woman is far less exciting than for the men with whom they have relationships.
Women are segregated from men, especially when menstruating because at this
time they are viewed as being unclean. Women act as child bearers, fire bearers,
cooks, honored servants and the like. Makeup and perfume are prohibited and
their heads must be covered. They are prevented from making important decisions
and often aren't even allowed to participate in decision making. Rita could
not have known then that she eventually would fall from her respectful position
as wife to a less fulfilling role in her husband's world. Later, as Bob's career
accelerated, Rita was increasingly left to look after children, thus stalling
her own recording career. Sadly, Rita and Bobs marriage existed purely in name over time, as Rita
became a worker, a sexual giver, a secretary, a backup singer for the Wailers,
and a watcher of children. She was paid a salary like every other worker for
the band, and not given any special attention. Emotional and physical abuse
became a part of their lives. Because their marriage was grounded in Rastafarianism,
it was not viewed as abnormal that Rita should take such a backseat in her husbands
life. However, that did not mean Rita was not hurt by her husbands actions. About Bobs extramarital affairs, she states "I am a normal woman
and things can happen that depress you" (Whitney). Her manifestations of
jealousy did nothing to prevent Bob from having intimate relationships outside
their marriage. Consequently, Rita acknowledged his actions, and did her best
to remain neutral and to protect the children. She accepted her husbands
children with other women as her own. After Bobs death, it is possible
that being surrounded by the children helped ease her pain. Over the years,
Rita has collaborated musically with many of the children and remains on good
terms with Cindy Breakespeare. Such behavior goes beyond the role of wife in
my American eyes. Rita cared for her husband throughout his illness, with help from other women
in his life, and was there until the moment of his death. Rita states "Bob
was the king and as his queen I must carry on" (White). Rita and Bob's Children Together, Rita and Bob had five children: Sharon, Cedella, Ziggy, Stephen and
Stephanie. Sharon, the oldest, was conceived with an unnamed man when Rita was
only 17. After coming into Sharon's life when she was only eight months old,
Bob adopted her. She is said to have been Bob's "favorite" (White). At age 25,
she is married and goes by the name of Sharon Marley Prendergast. In 1983 and
'84, Sharon took time off from her college studies in business administration
to help her younger siblings record two debut albums under the name The Melody
Makers. In 1989, she made an attempt at acting with her half-sister Cedella
in the film The Mighty Quinn, starring Denzel Washington and Robert Townshend.
Presently she is curator of the Bob Marley museum in Jamaica. Of her childhood,
Sharon states "We had a lot of music in our household. We listened to a lot
of gospel music and music from other cultures. We used the music to keep us
spiritually grounded" (online,
legacy/children). However, music was not
something her father wanted her to get involved in because he knew that the
business aspect had its snags. Yet, Sharon also says "But music is our life
I guess. What we are doing now is nothing we haven't been doing for the last
fifteen years at least." Sharon also works with the Caribbean business Ghetto
Youth United, and is keeping busy in trying to open a day care training center
in Jamaica, the first of its kind. Cedella Marley, Rita and Bob's first child conceived together, was born in
Kingston in August of 1967. The Wailers celebrated her birth by releasing the
single "Nice Time", which later became her nickname. Educated in public schools,
the girls took a liking to her musical surroundings and helped form the Melody
Makers. Her talents as a songwriter, singer and dancer within the band have
developed over the years. Cedella must balance the demands of the band with
her work as CEO of Tuff Gong International, the record label her father developed
in the early 1970's, and with her role as a mother. Cedella says, "Music was
never a subject in our house. You know, it was like food on the table, it was
just there. Daddy wanted me to become a doctor or lawyer, and Ziggy to be something
else and Sharon to be something else, but we decided we wanted to play music
for a while" (online
legacy/children). David, or Ziggy as he is known, is the second child of Rita and Bob. He was
born on October 17, 1968 in Trenchtown just as the pro-African movement began.
As a child he recalls listening to Stevie Wonder in particular. The physical
resemblance to Bob is eerie: both have a sharp chin, high cheekbones and pointed
dark eyes. Some highlights of his life include watching his father perform in
Zimbabwe and accepting his father's Order of Merit, one of the highest honors
to receive in Jamaica. Known to many as the head of his siblings group The Melody
Makers, Ziggy insists that the name is only the Melody Makers and that each
member brings unique features to the band. For the past two decades, Ziggy has
been singing, writing and producing music. He also keeps busy with charity,
including Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (U.R.G.E.) which does community
service in Jamaica, Ethiopia and other countries of lesser wealth. His companion
is Lorraine Bogle, with whom he has two children, Daniel and Justice (White). The fourth child was born April 20, 1972 in Wilmington, Delaware when Rita
was living with Bob's mother. Stephen is the fourth member of the Melody Makers,
working as a singer, deejay, writer and producer for the group. He was only
six years old when the group released their first track. "We've been making
music together since birth. Our first song was produced by our father, called
'Children Playing in the Streets'" (online
legacy/children). He also developed
the record label Ghetto Youths United. In the late 1990's, he was kept busy
remixing his father's hits with the likes of Erykah Badu, Lost Boyz and Lauryn
hill. It was his work with Lauryn Hill that led the Melody Makers to perform
"No Woman, No Cry" with the Fugees at the 1997 Grammy Awards in New York City.
Stephanie Marley may possibly be Rita and Bobs fifth child. Sources vary
but Timothy White writes that Cedella Booker alleged that the girl was not fathered
by her son. Rather, she asserts, Stephanie was fathered illegitimately by a
man named Ital. Whatever the truth may be, Stephanie is recognized as Bobs
child and did indeed receive a sum of money from his estate. Cindy Breakespeare The woman most often linked with Bob, other than Rita or his mother Cedella,
is Cindy Breakespeare. A clerk at the Sheraton Kingston and a dancer at the
Dizzi Disco, Cindy first met Bob when the two became tenants at Chris Blackwell's
house on 56 Hope Road during the early 1970's, when Cindy was only a teenager.
They occupied different rooms in different areas of the house. Don Taylor asserts
that Bob had made many passes at Cindy but it was not until he became famous
and owner of the house that she paid him any attention (Taylor). Upon first
meeting him, Cindy thought "Get involved with this dude and he'll change your
life forever" (Whitney). It is rumored that "Waiting in Vain" concerns Bob's
waiting for Cindy to accept his offers. Coming from an upper class, highly educated background, Cindy was at first
reluctant to date a Rasta but a relationship that taught her "a lot about how
to be a woman" soon developed (Steffens). Initially, she did not know that Bob
was married. It was actually Cedella Booker that first told her of Rita, but
by then Cindy was pregnant with Bob's child. On Friday, November 19, 1976, Cindy
rose from reigning Miss Jamaica Bikini and Miss Universe Bikini to Miss World,
a campaign that was actually financed by Bob. Shortly after, Bob was shot. The
following year, Bob "spent much of his time in exile from Jamaica with Cindy"
(Steffens). Knowing that Bob feared jealous women, Cindy was content to not ask for too
much. She claims that his behavior towards her was always respectful because
she was honest with him on every matter they discussed. She also says that though
Bob was attracted to Babylonian women, he truly believed that a look absent
of makeup and perfume was superior. Because of these beliefs he pressured Cindy
to refrain from the use of makeup, razors, and nail polish. Don Taylor believes that Cindy was the only woman Bob ever loved because she
was the only woman he ever chased after. Cindy got respect from Bob more so
than any other woman did. He bought her a house in the Cherry Gardens area of
Kingston as well as gave her $100,000 starting capital for her Ital Craft store.
Their relationship continued until his death, though in the final years their
relationship became more of a friendship. Today Cindy is married to jazz guitarist and airline pilot Rupert Bent
and lives in the Stony Hill section of Jamaica. She keeps busy with her Ital
craft shop and with her career as a singer. Cindy regards Bob today as "a true
hero" (Steffens). One child was born out of Cindy and Bob's relationship: Damian. Born on July
21, 1976 in Jamaica, he is knick named "Jr. Gong" (White). One of Bob's last
requests was for his son's name to be changed due to a movie linking the name
to the devil, which Bob though inappropriate for a Rasta. However, Damian's
name remained. Like his siblings, he is also a musician. At 13, he formed a
band called The Shepherds, which performed locally in Jamaica as well as at
the Reggae Bash '92 and the Sunsplash '92 Bob Marley Tribute (online
mm/juliandamian.html).
Damian performs with his half-brother Julian, often opening for the Melody Makers
on tour. His last album, entitled Mr. Marley, was produced in part by
Stephen Marley under the Ghetto Youth International label. The album features
Damian deejaying over "new school" music as well as more traditional music (online
mm/juliandamian.html). Janet Dunn (Hunt) A dancer in a club, Janet met Bob Marley sometime in the 1970's. Literature
on her origins or her first encounter with the King of Reggae is nearly nonexistent.
In fact, there is even a discrepancy over her name. In Catch a Fire Timothy
White credits Janet Hunt with giving birth to Rohan Marley, whereas the Wailer
family tree lists his mother as Janet Dunn (online
wailerft.htm). Whatever
the case may be, little is known of Bobs affair with this woman. Born in May 1972 to Janet, he was later brought by Bob to stay with Rita
at the age of four because his mother was not properly caring for him. From
that age on, Rohan stayed with the Marleys. He attended the same school as Ziggy
and Stephen but unlike them he was rowdy and incorrigible to the point where
he was sent to live with Cedella Booker in Miami. Cedella eventually adopted
him. Rohan came to be starting linebacker for University of Miamis Hurricane
football team. In the 1990s, Rohan was charged with trying to run over
a Miami police officer with his pickup truck. Two years ago, he married singer
Lauryn Hill. Pat Williams In 1970, Bob began a relationship with a woman from Trenchtown named Pat,
and again sources are conflicting as she is referred to as "Pat" in Songs
of Freedom but referred to as "Lucille Williams" in Catch a Fire.
She came to know Bob through her stays at 56 Hope Road. On one particular evening,
she approached the naked Bob in the moonlight. There in the yard she seduced
him. Bob was so affected by the tryst that the next morning he wrote the lyrics
to "Midnight Ravers" on a Kingston telephone book. The rendezvous
bore a child Robbie, who was born in 1972. Eventually Robbie also fell under
Ritas care. Robbie attended the University College of the West Indies
and is presently contemplating a career in computer graphics. Janet Bowen Little is also known of this "baby mother" other than many sources
used for this paper did not even list a last name, simply referring to the woman
as "Janet in England" (online
wailerft.htm). She gave birth
to Bobs daughter Karen in 1973 in England. Karen lived in Jamaica with
her great grandmother in Harbor View, St. Andrew where she attended school.
Eventually she became a regular visitor of the Marley clan though she initially
feared Bob. When Bob fell ill, he asked Rita to care for Karen and enroll her
in the same school as daughter Stephanie. Lucy Pounder A resident of Barbados, Lucy gave birth to Julian Marley on June 4, 1975.
She raised her son in London and often brought him to visit Rita and Bob in
Jamaica and Miami. Julian recorded his first song when he was five years old and has since
established himself as a bassist, drummist, and keyboardist. He released his
first album Uprising in 1989. After moving to Jamaica in 1992, he has
since released Lion in the Morning, which was produced in part by Stephen
and assisted by Rohan, Kymani and the Melody Makers. Julian has toured in Japan,
Brazil, and Mexico. In 1996, he was also featured as part of the "Marley
Magic" tour in North America (online
mm/juliandamian.html). Anita Belnavis In 1977 Anita, the Caribbean table tennis champion gave birth to son Ky-mani
Marley. Little is known about this woman. Ky-mani spent summers with his father
and surrogate mother Rita and moved to Jamaica in 1992. Yvette Crichton Yvette is the last woman with whom Bob is officially recognized as fathering
a child. Out of their union was born Makeda Jahnesta Marley in 1981. By 1992,
Makeda was a regular at Ritas house and later became a beneficiary of
the Marley estate. Other lovers that werent mothers There is a slew of other women with whom Bob is rumored to have had affairs.
As Cindy Breakespeare says "Women were always throwing themselves at Bobs
feet" (Steffens). Girlfriend Esther Anderson is indirectly cited in one of Bobs songs.
The lovers favorite hideaway was a fishing village past Negril. And on
one evening, the two encountered a roadblock while crossing the island. This
was the impetus behind "Rebel Music." Diane Jobson was Bobs attorney but that is not how her role in Bobs
life initially began. She "was a fairly typical example of an upper class
woman completely under his control. She was a real uptown girl, whom Bob had
taken and bred into the Rasta faith in the early seventies and, after he got
bored with her, gave the day-to-day task of being his lawyer," says Don
Taylor. Pascalene, the daughter of the president of Gabon, was interested in Bob. In
Reggae King of the World the author describes her as "a woman he
was to woo and conquer, and with whom he had one of his last serious affairs"
(Whitney). Yvette Morris can be listed as another girlfriend. Don Taylor credited
her and Allen Cole as aiding Bob in several important business decisions (Taylor).
Bob openly dated, and had sexual relations with, three of Cindy Breakespeares
friends during the time he was with Cindy. Though sisters, Virginia and Nancy
Burke did not seem to mind sharing their lover. Sandra Kong, another friend
of Cindy's, also was linked romantically with Bob. In 1977 in London, Bob was linked with Princess Yashi, the daughter of
the oil minister of Libya. Described as having a "smooth olive complexion
and the gait of a thoroughbred" the two frequented London clubs (Taylor).
Yet, Bob still preferred to be surrounded by as many women as possible. In that same year, Island Records threw several large lavish parties in Paris
and Los Angeles for Bob and the Wailers. Several photos showing the artist dancing
with pretty women in discos in both cities appeared at the time in European
and American papers. At about this time, Bianca Jagger encountered Bob and was
reportedly smitten by him, though no relationship evolved. There are countless other unknown women with whom Bob had affairs but their
identities may never be known. All together, Marley had eleven legally recognized
children but some relatives estimate that he fathered as many as twenty-two
(White). Bobs thoughts on Marriage A common dispute that arose between Bob and Rita was his wifes use
of his last name. He claimed that the only reason he married Rita was the children
they were to have and so it would be easier for Rita to get into the United
States. "Me never believe in Marriage that much. Marriage is a trap to control
me. Woman is a coward. Man is stronger" (Taylor). Bob went so far as to
refer to Rita as his sister when questioned by the media. In an interview with Wanda Coleman in December 1973, when Wanda asked about
a special lady in Bobs life he replied "No really a one lady yet
No,
I dont really settle down with lady. Me not ready" (Coleman). When
Bob was asked if he would ever marry Cindy, he claimed he would not because
she was simply a girlfriend. In the song, "Shes Gone" Bob sings,
"she felt like a prisoner that needs to be free," perhaps describing
himself more than any woman he dated as no woman ever left him. Rather he left
them, a further echo of his belief that marriage equals a trap. Bobs thoughts on Children Those who knew the reggae artist knew he had a special affinity for small
children. On many occasions, Bob stopped his vehicle to play with children by
the roadside. He felt strengthened by them and felt blessed at his own brood.
"Children are wonderful. It dont take plenty yknow. Just a
nice girl who dont take birth control. Sexual intercourse is a lovely
thing" (White). Bob also said he wanted to "ave as many child as
dere were shells on de beach." (White). Two of Bobs songs make pledges to his children: "High Tide or
Low Tide" and "So Jah Sey". In the latter, Bob swears that none
of his "seeds" will have to sit "in the sidewalk and beg bread."
His children were very important to him. During his illness, the father of many
stressed that above anything else, his estate was to go to the care and wellbeing
of his children. Conclusion The greatest reggae artist of all time certainly kept a busy sexual life. Perhaps
several early signs foretold this aspect of his life. Consider the following. In the time that young Marley lived in Kingston before his life as a musician,
Bob worked as a welder. Welding, among Rastamen, is slang for sex (Davis). Rita once met a woman at a dryer cleaners place. Once the worker spotted
the last name, she asked if Rita was related to the singer Bob Marley. When
Rita replied in the affirmative, the young women revealed that her name was
Constance Marley, and her father was the same man that had conceived Bob. Bob
never got to meet his half-sister and was distressed. Upon telling his mother
Cedella the story, she replied "Yuh fadda de cause of plenty-plenty grief
and travail" (White). Perhaps, like his father, Bob also caused the mothers
of his children grief and pain. About the lack of clarity regarding Bobs affairs, Timothy White offers
"No one who was connected with Marley, no matter how intimately, had a
complete picture of the man. The network of restrictive confidences that Marley
developed over the years was extensive, encompassing business arrangements,
extramarital affairs, daily comings and goings, and songwriting collaborations." Yes, Bob Marley, Reggae King of the World, fathered many children and had numerous
lovers. In this sense, he typifies the Rastaman who treats women as means to
sexual gratification and as domestic slaves. Yet, he is atypical of his bredren
because he held himself financially responsible to the children that were born
from his sexual encounters. As evidenced by the positive works written about Marley and his ongoing influence
on the world, Marleys legend lives on, be it through his children, or
his music and positive messages. Gilly Gilbert, Bobs Ital cook, says "Whatever
Bob do, Bob do more right than wrong." Works Cited Boot, Adrian and Chris Salewicz. Bob Marley: Songs of Freedom. Penguin:
New York, 1995. Coleman, Wanda. "Interview with Bob Marley." The Beat 1994: volume
13, #3, p.44 Davis. "A Visit with the Black Prince of Reggae." Reggae Bloodlines
1979: p. 22-47. Morris, Dennis. Bob Marley: A Rebel Life. Plexus: London, 1999. Shearborn, Kirk. "The Party in Jamaica." The Beat 1995: volume 14,
#3. Sheridan, Maureen. Soul Rebel. Thundersmouth: New York, 1999. Steffens, Roger. Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer. Norton: New York, 1994. Steffens, Roger. "Forward." The Beat 1994: volume 13, #3, p. 6. Steffens, Roger. "Cuisine Heart-- Gilly Gilbert, Bob's Ital Cook." The
Beat 1994: volume 13, #3, p 56. Taylor, Don. Marley and Me: The Real Bob Marley Story. Barricade:
New York, 1995. White, Timothy. Catch a Fire. Holt: New York, 1998. Whitney, Malika and Dermot Hussey. Bob Marley: Reggae King of the World.
Pomegranate: San Francisco, 1998. http://www.bobmarley.com/life/legacy/rita http://www.bobmarley.com/life/legacy/children http://www.melodymakers.com/mm/steve.html http://www.melodymakers.com/mm/ziggy.html http://www.melodymakers.com/mm/cedella.html http://www.melodymakers.com/mm/sharon.html http://www.melodymakers.com/mm/juliandamian.html http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bill/students/marley/history/bob/wedfam.html http://hem.passagen.se/ielbo/wail/wailerft.htmLovers and Children of the Natural Mystic: The Story of Bob
Marley, Women and their Children
Meredith Dixon