Light a Fire"The store of music he left behind is like an encyclopedia," says Judy Mowatt of the I-Threes (Bob Marley's backing singers). "When you need to reference a certain situation or crisis, there will always be a Bob Marley song that refers to it. Bob was a prophet of music." (bobmarley.com). To most people in this world Bob Marley was just a singer from the small island of Jamaica, but anyone who has heard the true soul of his music knows that he was not a musician, but a spiritual messenger. through music Bob Marley created many fans through his music but he may have raised some enemies through his beliefs, his story tells the truth behind the prophet. Robert Nesta Marley was born on February 6, 1945 to a poor 18-year-old black man. a young woman named Cedella Booker and a 50-year-old white captain Noval Marley. His father's military position provided financial support for the family, but his constant absence for the British West India Regiment left Bob unattended during his less than great early life in Jamaica. On the outskirts of Kingston, the small village of Trench Town is where Bob put his roots to good use. Bob's open and curious mind led him to music at a young age, leaving school to learn everything he could about music. His young spirit was like a seed craving the nutrients to become a fruitful plant. When he heard the musical influences of American radio stations, he thought of becoming a future influence for generations to come (bobmarley.com). Bob Marley's popularity had spread throughout Jamaica. His music has always been at the top of the charts and his lyrics have always been at the top of Jamaican minds. Bob's musical influence was intertwined with the political turmoil of the time, and his songs told a truthful account of daily life in an unstable government. Bob Marley and his two ghetto best friends, Neville “Bunny” Livingston and Peter Tosh, had now become the hottest thing in Jamaica. The Wailers had taken what every voice in Jamaica wanted to shout against the ongoing political anarchy. The Wailers' impact on their Jamaican culture ignited their popularity across America and, eventually, the world. Once the Wailers became a nation... at the center of the card... they passed to his family. "Maddah, don't cry," he then said to Ciddy as she stood by his bed, squeezing his hand, "I'll be fine. I need to prepare a place." He died just before noon on May 11, 1981, only forty hours after leaving Germany." (bobmarley.com) The world may forget how a poor, lonely child composed a song for what is right and gave the people a leaf olive tree when they asked him for a knife, but we might also remember the similar story of a man who created world peace with only his words to fight with, Christ.Works Citedwww.bobmarley.com 2000.King, Stephen A. “International Reggae, Democratic Socialism, and the Secularization of the Rastafarian Movement, 1972-1980.” Popular Music and Society Fall 1998. McCullough, Courtney “Bob Marley: Do You Get the Full Picture?” http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m2822/3_22/59117064/p6/article.jhtml?term= 20 November 1999.Ultimate Album: Bob Marley Legend VH1 2002.www.vh1.com 2002.White, Timothy Catch to Fire: The Life of Bob Marley New York, 1996.