The Marley family, UMe, and Island Records will honor Bob Marley’s legacy with a year-long celebration commemorating his 80th birthday milestone and his importance in the uprising of global music and the fight for social justice and equality.
Bob Marley’s 80th Earthstrong Celebrations culminate with an ‘Uprising’ Tribute Concert livestream from the family’s Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, and features a slew of popular and new Jamaican entertainers, including Mortimer, Bugle, Kumar Fyah, Naomi Cowan, Quan Dajai, Kelly Shane, and Alexx A-Game, several of whom were featured in the Bob Marley: One Love movie. Other highlights featured in the livestream will be a countdown of the best live performances from past birthdays, stand-alone performances paying tribute, a showcase of the ongoing impact of his charitable organization, the Bob Marley Foundation, and more. Tune into the livestream on Thursday, February 6, from 3pm ET – 7pm ET on Tuff Gong TV’s official YouTube channel, HERE.
“Celebrating Daddy’s 80th birthday under the theme ‘Uprising’ is a special moment for our family and fans worldwide. This album represents so much of his spirit, with powerful songs like “Forever Loving Jah,” “Coming In From The Cold,” “Could You Be Loved,” and “Redemption Song,” which continue to inspire generations,” shares Cedella Marley, CEO of the Bob Marley Group of Companies. “Each year, we honor his legacy in a way that unites our extended family, friends, and fans from all corners of the globe. This 80th milestone is a reminder of his timeless call for love, resilience, and freedom.”
Additional festivities include the premiere episode of “Bob Marley & I” featuring British film director, DJ and musician Don Letts, who details his life-changing experience seeing Bob Marley & The Wailers at the infamous Lyceum Theatre in London in 1975, with more episodes being showcased throughout the year. Catch the first episode of “Bob Marley & I” on Tuff Gong TV’s livestream, or watch the episode now on Bob Marley’s Official Channels, as well as future episodes, HERE.
Follow Bob Marley’s Official Channels HERE for upcoming content celebrating Bob’s legacy and contribution to the world.
Contributing to the celebrations, Young Voices, in conjunction with The Bob & Rita Marley Foundation, will stage a Worldwide Singalong from the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, tomorrow, Thursday, February 6th, at 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT to celebrate Bob’s 80th by singing the “Marley Magic” medley—a specially arranged selection of Bob Marley’s greatest hits, including “One Love,” “Jamming’,” “Three Little Birds,” and more. The 8,000-strong Young Voices choir, singing live from the Co-op Arena while thousands more join in around the world, will create a powerful and uplifting tribute to one of the world’s most celebrated musical figures. Children, teachers, and parents everywhere are invited to participate, joining the global celebration from their schools or homes. All participants can access the learning materials when they sign up. Tune in to watch the performance HERE or click HERE for more information.
Cedella Marley shares, “I know Daddy would have a huge smile on his face and be so proud to know that his words of freedom, love, and unity would be sung by so many beautiful young souls around the world over 50 years after he wrote them. It’s a huge testament to the power of his music that his songs resonate stronger than ever and with each new generation. My father’s songs speak universal truths and that is why they sound as convincing coming out of the mouths of children as they did when he himself recorded and performed them.”
With over 250,000 children from Young Voices UK and Young Voices USA taking part, along with countless others worldwide, this global singalong promises to be a moment of unity and joy, spreading Bob Marley’s message of love and peace to new generations.
SiriusXM’s Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Radio (channel 19) is proud to present special programming for Marley’s 80th Earthstrong, which includes a broadcast of Tuff Gong TV’s ‘Uprising’ livestream. The channel will also highlight rare gems, prolific recordings from the Marley family, and music from Tuff Gong, the family label Marley founded. Legendary songwriter and performer Smokey Robinson brings his favorites to the lineup as a guest DJ; a lineup of reggae, roots, dancehall legends, and contemporary stars will also share birthday greetings throughout the day. Hear it all on Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Radio on February 6, and then available on the SiriusXM app starting February 7.
One-quarter of all Reggae listened to in the United States is Bob Marley’s. Bob Marley’s Legend was recently re-certified 18x platinum by the RIAA. Legend is the fourteenth-biggest-selling album of all time and the third-biggest-selling Greatest Hits package in United States history. Bob Marley’s music transcends generations, with a timeless message of peace, love, justice, and unity, continuing to influence and empower hearts and minds worldwide. His enduring legacy continues to shape and inspire the world, leaving an indelible mark on popular culture—from music and film to art, theatre, fashion, and beyond.
Uprising is the 12th studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, and the last one to be released (June 10, 1980) during his lifetime. It features “Bad Card,” the anthemic “Redemption Song,” and the Billboard Club Play and R n B Chart (and UK Top 5) smash “Could You Be Loved” (crossed 1 Billion streams on Spotify), among other vintage Marley tracks. Marley used the album as a direct reaffirmation of his Rastafarian faith through such songs as “Forever Loving Jah,” “Work,” “We and Dem,” and the aforementioned “Redemption Song.”
Additional information on MARLEY 80 events will be revealed soon.
Bob Marley, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is notable not only as the man who put Reggae on the global map but also as a statesman in his native Jamaica; he famously brought together the country’s warring factions. Today, Bob Marley remains one of the 20th century’s most important and influential entertainment icons. Marley’s lifestyle and music continue to inspire new generations as his legacy lives on through his music. The 2024 biographical drama and musical film based on Marley’s life, Bob Marley: One Love, opened at #1 at the domestic box office on Wednesday, February 14th, with a record-breaking $14M, and a CinemaScore and 5 out of 5 stars on PostTrak. It had a strong Valentine’s Day opening internationally, setting new records for a music biopic opening in the U.K., New Zealand, and Belgium. Overall, the movie opened at No. 1 in 13 international markets, including the U.K., France, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and Norway, and the film set the record for the biggest film opening of all time in Jamaica. After only 10 days in theaters, Bob Marley: One Love surpassed $100 million at the worldwide box office. Overall, the movie grossed $185M at the worldwide box office.
In the digital era, he has the second-highest social media following of any posthumous celebrity. The official Bob Marley Facebook page draws over 66 million fans, ranking it among the Top 50 of all Facebook pages (#47), and the Top 20 among all celebrity pages (#17). Marley’s music catalog has sold millions of albums worldwide. His iconic collection LEGEND is the longest-charting album in Billboard Magazine’s Catalog Albums chart and remains the world’s best-selling reggae album and second longest charting album of all time overall. “Could You Be Loved,” the first single off Marley’s last album, Uprising (also featured on Legend,) was named one of the “500 Best Songs of All Time” by Rolling Stone Magazine (2021) and surpassed one billion streams on Spotify this Fall (2024). Marley’s accolades include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1994) and ASCAP Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010), a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), multiple entries in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2001).
