Why Bob Marley Beat Up His Manager (Transcript)
Before we look at the specific incident of this episode, we are going to give a very brief background on Bob Marley. The Early Years
Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley, February 6, 1945 in Nine Miles, St. Ann, Jamaica. He was born to white English father, Norval Marley and a black Jamaican mother, Cedella Booker. At 12 years old, he moved to Trench Town in the parish of St. Andrew. Soon after, he would leave school and end up creating music with his childhood friend, Neville Livingston who would soon become known as Bunny Wailer. Around 1959, both men would end up been mentored by legendary musician, Joe Higgs where at one of Higgs’ lessons, they met another young man, Winston McIntosh, who would become known as Peter Tosh. By 1963, Marley, Bunny Wailer and Tosh, would link up, Beverly Kelso, to formed the music group, The Wailers. Thus, the three men and one woman band was formed. Soon after, Junior Braithwaite and Cherry Smith would joined the group. Th group began recorded in the legendary Studio One where in 1964, they scored their ska chart topping hit “Simmer Down” By 1966, Marley married the Cuban-born Rita Anderson and moved to Delaware in the United States for work. While there, he took jobs as a lab assistant and as a fork lift operator in the Chrysler plant factory. Yet, Marley was soon back in Jamaica to pursue his music career. Then by 1969, Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny wailer embraced Rastafari which had a huge influence on the group’s music and their gravitation to this new Jamaican music.Reggae music developed on the Jamaica scene in 1968 which according to Jake Homiak, in his article, “Black History in Roots Reggae Music” the music became distinctive by its “combination of snare drum and hi-hat pulse of ska, the swaying guitar and bass interplay of rocksteady, along with the continuing influence of mento and the Nyahbinghi drumming tradition"
Reggae riddims—with their emphasis on the downbeat on two and four—evolved from the signature “one drop” style mastered by Carleton Barret. Carleton Barret would go on to become a drummer for Marley by the 1970’s. Still, the Wailers met up with a talented producer, Lee Scratch Perry to produce a string of hits in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. This includes: ‘Soul Rebel’, ‘Duppy Conquerer’, ‘400 Years’ and ‘Small Axe’. This string of success would put the group on the radar of English businessman who signed the group to his label, Island records. The group would release their first album on the label, ‘Catch A Fire’ which was followed up by ‘Burnin’. Still, by 1974, both Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, left the Wailers to pursue their own solo careers. Thus, Bob Marley, and his label would formed a new group. Stardom
This new group which was formed was called, “Bob Marley and the Wailers” and consist of three women backup singers called the I-Trees. I-Trees was made up Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths and Marley’s wife, Rita Marley. By October 1974, Bob Marley and The Wailers, release Natty Dread, which in 2003 was ranked 181 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Rastaman Vibration was released in April 1976 where the album debuted at Number 8 on the Billboard 200 Albums and #15 on the UK Albums Charts. The result was Marley's only Top 10 album and held Bob Marley and the Wailers’ only Billboard Top 100 songs charting single, ”Roots, Rock, Reggae” which peaked at #51. By the mid 1970’s, Marley was undoubtedly the biggest superstar in Jamaica. At this time the artist lived at 56 Hope Road in St. Andrew, which also housed his recording studio, Tuff Gong. However this popularity would have had its dark side. Jamaica was going through a turbulent 1970’s, which saw the political violence spread out over the island. In 1976, a islandwide state of emergency was enacted as political gangs mobilised across the island. It seems that the country was coming to a cross road of its political identity as the ruling People’s National Party, PNP, government adopted a more leftist approach to policies than any other administration up to this point. Marley would try to bring peace to the island by organising a Smile Jamaica concert for December 5th. However, when the ruling party, declared that the general election would be 10 days after this concert, Marley found himself wedge between the political conflict on the island. Then, on December 3rd, gunmen would blast their way through 56 Hope Road. In the aftermath of this assassination on the reggae star’s life, Marley, his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor was injured in the attacked. Still, despite the shooting and his injuries, Marley showed up and performed at the Smile Jamaica concert. Immediately after, Manley went into a self imposed exile from Jamaica and relocate to England. While in England, Bob Marley and the Wailers released Exodus. Issued in June of 1977, Exodus peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200. As well as remaining in the UK charts for 56 consecutive weeks, where it peaked at number 8. In 1999, Time magazine named Exodus the best album of the 20th century. In 2003, the album was ranked number 169 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In March 1978, Bob Marley and the Wailer released the album Kaya. Also in 1978, Marley would make his return to Jamaica to perform at the April 22nd 1978, One Love Concert. As political crime and violence further plague the island and brought its society to its heel, the concert sought to bring peace between the political supporters on the island. During Marley’s performance, he would call on prime minister Micheal Manley and opposition leader Edward Seaga on stage who awkwardly joined hand over Marley’s head in a symbolic union. This however did nothing to quell the nation’s unrest and political violence continue to rock the island for the rest of the decade. Yet, Manley continue his stardom and by October 1979 when he released Survival, he was undoubtedly one of the most recognisable musicians in the world. He not only had millions of fans but engaged in numerous relationships, despite still been married to his wife, Rita. Marley’s former lawyer, Diane Jobson, in the 2012 documentary ‘Marley’ would say this on Marley’s fidelity:“To who? God? To Jah? Yes, he was faithful to Jah. Faithful to any one woman? No... What is fidelity? Western ideology. Ring on your finger? Ring tru your nose? They can only handle one woman at a time. Bob could handle more”
So in 1979, when Marley met Pascaline Bongo, daughter of then Gabon’s president, Omar Bongo, they embarked on an affair. According to Ms.Bongo, the first time Bob Marley saw her, he said “Gosh you are ugly”, in response to her hair been straighten at this time. Still, in the midst of this relationship, she asked him to come to Gabon to performed. Marley agreed and would be joined with another reggae musician and notably actor, Jimmy Cliff. It’s here in January of 1980, that our story begins. Don Taylor
Now, Bob Marley manager and promoter at this time was Don Taylor. Born in Kingston in 1943, Taylor immigrated to the US in the 19600 where after he joined the US military. When he was discharge in 1967, he became the road manager for Little Anthony, The Imperials and Motown artist, Martha Reeves. In 1974, when the Wailers opened for Marvin Gaye during the a benefit concert for the Trench Town Sports Complex, it was there Marley would come in contact with Don Taylor. Taylor was the one who organised the concert and suggested Gaye to be headlining act. Marley would be impressed with Taylor’s work and keep in touch. Thus, almost a year later when Marly was in need of a new road manger, Don Taylor was called for the job. Over the next few years, Don assisted in taking Marley’s career to new heights, an highlight of which included, re-negotiating Marley’s contract with Island Record. As mentioned earlier, when Marley got shot in 1976, Taylor was also wounded in the incident where a bullet that was lodged in his spine had to be removed in Miami. Still, Taylor continued to manage Marley. In 1979, he purchased the publishing tights of Jimmy Cliff with the intention of propelling his career. Thus, when both men arrived in Gabon to perform in Gabon, Taylor was right there alongside them. Events of Gabon
In the African nation, Bob Marley and the Wailers arrived on January 4, 1980. They were scheduled to perform two shows. The first one, however, was a bit of a disappointment for the band as their performance was at a private birthday party for the country’s president, Omar Bongo, and not a public showing for the other citizens of the country. Nevertheless, before the second concert could take place, a conflict arose between Bob Marley and Don Taylor. It is alleged that Don Taylor informed Bob Marley that this concert deal was $40,000 but Taylor made the deal for $60,000 and pocketed the $20,000 difference. When Marley was made aware of this, he was extremely upset. Allegedly, the reggae superstar questioned his manager for an alleged three hours over the incident where Bob became physically with his manager. As Diane Jobson, who was present during this altercation recalled, Bob: “Kick him down. Leapt across the room an kick him down”
The three hours ordeal was reportedly tape recorded by Neville Garrick - the fame Jamaican photographer and graphic artist who served as Marley’s creative director and also designed many of Bob Marley and The Wailer’s album covers. As Garrick stated in ‘Marley’: “Bob would ask him the same question, like maybe, half an hour later and he answered different. And Bob said ‘Garrick rewind”... And then, [Bob said], ‘Wasn’t you said that, boy?’. Slapped him couple times”.
Diane Jobson stated that during this incident, Taylor confessed to have been skimming money through Marley’s concert and advances for years. During the 1987, trial of Caymans Music, Inc vs the Estate of Bob Marley, Taylor stated that: “We had a situation where the promoter, we got to Africa. I dealt with this promoter who gave me deposits on two artists, on Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, and my office gave him separate receipts. When we got to Africa, promoter came here, he said he wanted to cancel Jimmy Cliff show. He would like his money back. I said, ‘You are crazy’. He find a way to tell Bob Marley that the money he gave me for Jimmy Cliff was really for Bob Marley, and I was trying to take that money for myself. Bob Marley is the kind of person who don’t believe people. So he believe the guy, and he jumped up and started hitting me in front of the…that was in Gabon, Africa, Intercontinental Hotel. That was our physical thing. That was the start of it in 1980.”
Taylor stated the “start of it” for after Gabon, according to Taylor’s testimony, he was beaten once more by Marley in Miami. Alan ‘Skill’ Cole, one of Jamaica’s most celebrated football players and a friend of Marley’s, testified after Taylor. Skill Cole, stated that Taylor “he got shaken up, beaten up”. Nevertheless, according to Timothy White in his book, “Catch A Fire”, during these 1980 events, Bob Marley found out that legally, Don Taylor, besides himself, was the only authorized person of Bob Marley Music, Media Aids and the Tuff Gong Label. After leaving Gambia in January, Marley returned to the African continent, months later, when he was invited to perform at Rufaro Stadium in Harare on April 17 and 18 in 1980 to commerate Zimbabwe’s independence. His performance of his song, “Zimbabwe” off the 1979 album, ‘Survival’ was one of the shows’ major highlights. And Don Taylor, well he was fired by Marley but would continue to manage Jimmy Cliff and would also managed Gregory Issacs, years later. He died in 1999.Still, the events between Marley and his ex-manger would serve as inspiration for Marley’s next album, “Uprising”. One song on it, “Bad Card”, is believe to be aimed at Don Taylor. According to Timothy Whie: “The lyric ruminated on the intimate “propaganda”one cunning man can constantly feed a trusting companion until the elaborate nonsense becomes part of the environment the listener inhabits. But inevitably the moment of truth—the slipup in the game—comes as the high-stakes con man deals himself one ace too many. The bad card is revealed in the hand he shows.”
Uprising was the twelve album that Bob Marley would be apart of and the final one released during his lifetime. Almost a year after Uprising was released, on May 11, 1981, Marley succumbed to cancer at the age of 36. He was given a state funeral by the Jamaican government on the 21st of May where he was buried in his birth town of Nine Miles. His casket contained his red Gibson Les Paul guiar, a Bible opened at Psalms 23 and a stalk of Ganja placed there by Rita, herself. Even in death, and despite the events of 1980, Marley’s music and influence can be heard and seen worldwide, where his albums continue to top musical charts today. Known as the "King of Reggae" and serving as a popular figure of Rastafari, numerous projects have been made about his life where at the time of this episode recording, the Paramount Pictures biopic about "Marley", is currently in development. For in the opening words of Bad Card, Marley himself sings,“You a-go tired fi see mi face, Can't get me out a di race”