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The Story of Bob Marley, Women and their Children Essay

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The Story of Bob Marley, Women and their Children

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 …show more content…

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.

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