In the 31 years since his untimely death, Marley still remains the most-popular figure in Reggae music. Succumbing to cancer at age 36 in 1981, Marley had become a global ambassador for the music he helped make famous.
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Marley’s passing shook the reggae and music community to its core; yet, his legacy remains intact through his timeless music catalog and talented children.
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Marley was born in the village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish in Jamaica (also the birthplace of Marcus Garvey). Marley’s father was a white Jamaican man of English descent and his mother was a native of Jamaica. Discovering music as a teenager, Marley befriended Neville “Bunny” Livingston (aka Bunny Wailer) who shared his dreams of becoming a musician. Through singer Joe Higgs, the pair met Peter McIntosh (aka Peter Tosh) who also had similar ambitions. Recording his first songs in 1962, Marley and his friends would eventually be renamed The Wailers, after being discovered by a local record producer.
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Marrying Rita Anderson (now Marley) in 1966, Marley and his bride made a sojourn to the United States to live near his mother in Wilmington, De. Marley soon teamed up with American singer Johnny Nash (“I Can See Clearly Now”) and nabbed a deal with CBS Records. Marley and the Wailers went on tour with Nash before their label deal went sour and the band ended up stranded in London in 1972. From there, Marley contacted Island Records’ founder Chris Blackwell and was advanced funds to record the hit album “Catch A Fire.”
Shortly after the release of their major-label debut, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh went their
Aretha Franklin is engaged to longtime friend William “Willie” Wilkerson.
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The Grammy-winning singer said in a statement Monday that she and Wilkerson are considering a summer wedding, perhaps in Miami Beach, Florida. The Queen of Soul wants to follow the ceremony with a reception on a private yacht.
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The 69-year-old jokes: “No, I’m not pregnant.”
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Franklin and Wilkerson became engaged over the holidays.
When I was 20 and still in college, I worked for a large chain
store where jewelry was their main product.
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At Christmas time, it was understood that when the jewelry
department got busy, and because that’s where the greatest
margin of profit was, that all available employees were to help
with sales in the jewelry ‘pit’.
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We were all trained to work the counters, but we got a minimum
percentage of commission compared to the regular salespeople’s
salary and commissions. This one evening, the customers were
three deep all around the four sides of the jewelry counters.
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One by one we served the customers and it finally got to a
manageable group in about two hours. Some of my co-workers were
tired and wanted to go back to their departments. Some were
allowed to leave, but I was asked to stay and finish helping our
customers find the jewelry that they were shopping for.
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As I was just about to walk my current customer to the registers
so that she could checkout, I caught sight of a VERY large man
in just filthy overalls.
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He was muddy and he smelled!
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When I returned to the sales counter, all of the other college
students that were there working were whispering and giggling
and not very discreetly.
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I asked them what they were whispering about. And they pointed
to the man at my section of the counter. I told them not to be
so mean. He might be able to hear them. I told them to have the
Christmas spirit and be nice. Because Nice matters.
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They were still giggling as I went to see how I could help him.
When I got to him, he really did smell. It was pretty bad, but
I figured he really wanted something as he had waited a long
time. He thanked me for coming to him and asked to see a
$40,000 aquamarine and diamond ring in the case.
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Gasps and more giggles exploded from my co-workers when they
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Feb 19 2012
