1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: Disgraceland as a production of Double Elvis. 2 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 2: The truth about Bob Marley is pretty nuts. 3 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 3: The peace in Love, Rastafari and reggae superstar was also 4 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 3: a violent, revenge fueled kid from the trench Town ghetto 5 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 3: who would not be denied justice or his due. He 6 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 3: once hung his manager out of a hotel window to 7 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 3: renegotiate a contract. He and his friends were known to 8 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 3: strong arm DJs for radio play, and in a rage, 9 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 3: he jammed a pistol into the side of a colleague's 10 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 3: head until he was given what he wanted. If you 11 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 3: were the big tree and in his way, he was 12 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 3: the small axe sharpened to cut you down. And he 13 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 3: sought and possibly attained justice by having a trench Town 14 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 3: kangaroo court string up his would be assassins from palm trees. 15 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 3: Bob Marley believed in justice, but there was a thin 16 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 3: line between justice and vengeance. You can hear both themes 17 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 3: throughout his music, and Bob Marley made great music, some 18 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 3: of the greatest music ever made. In fact, that music 19 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 3: at the top of the show that wasn't great music, 20 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 3: that was a loop from my mellotron called rumba Guitar 21 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:27,199 Speaker 3: Low MK two, and I played you that loop because 22 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 3: I can't afford the rights to Night. 23 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: Fever by the Beg's. 24 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 3: And why would I play you that specific slice of 25 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:34,839 Speaker 3: Harry Medallion Cheese? 26 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 2: Could I afford it? 27 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 3: Because that was the number one song in America on 28 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 3: April twenty second, nineteen seventy eight. And that was the 29 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 3: day that Bob Marley, international reggae superstar, the Tough Gong 30 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 3: and the Rastafari man of peace and love may or 31 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 3: may not have brought violent justice down upon his enemies 32 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 3: on this episode a kangaroo court rumba guitars, Harry Dion Cheese, 33 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 3: Bob Marley and Rastafarian vengeance. 34 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 2: I'm Jake Brennan and this is disgrace sand. 35 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 3: Before the tiny Ford capri had even stopped skidding, the 36 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 3: four young men from Trench Town jumped out onto the 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 3: unpaved parking lot of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation. One of 38 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 3: them was Bob Marley, and he was pissed. Pissed off 39 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 3: that his bandmate Bunny Livingston didn't want to tour, pissed 40 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 3: off that money was tight. Still in his twenties, he 41 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 3: was supporting seven children by four different women. Ja will provide, 42 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 3: but within reason and most important in this moment, Bob 43 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 3: was pissed off at his latest single, despite being the 44 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 3: number one selling song in all of Jamaica, couldn't get 45 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 3: spun on the radio. Trench down Hoods got a bad rap. 46 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:00,119 Speaker 2: But the real. 47 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 3: Gangsters or the suits in the music industry pulling strings 48 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 3: and playing kingmaker Bob's song Small Axe killed, and so 49 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 3: did Bob's right hand man, the man rushing the radio 50 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 3: station with him at the moment, who went by the 51 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 3: unambiguous nickname Take Life. He was a brutal presence back 52 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 3: in the ghetto. A second killer hurried along Bob's other side, 53 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 3: and the last man, the Wheelman, a professional footballer named 54 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 3: Alan Skill Cole, who, when he unfolded his six foot 55 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 3: five inch body out of the front door of the 56 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 3: fastback coop, made it look more like a clown car. 57 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 3: But there would be no clowning around on this visit 58 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 3: to the radio station. These guys meant business. Skill carried 59 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 3: with him a cricket bat, Take Life carried a ratchet knife, 60 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 3: and Bob Bob Marley carried with him a lifetime of 61 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 3: angst and desperation that only growing up an abject poverty 62 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 3: can add to your load. The foursome burst into the studio, 63 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 3: uninvited and intimidating. Its all hell, you go and play 64 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 3: the new Whaler's record on JBC, Bob demanded of the 65 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 3: confused British DJ behind the console. Take life, leaned back 66 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 3: against the wall, played it cool, cleaned his fingernails with 67 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 3: his knife, and sucked on his teeth, while the other short, 68 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 3: well dressed thug Frowser loosened up his neck muscles to 69 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 3: let the DJ know in no uncertain terms that he 70 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,799 Speaker 3: was ready for combat. Skill just smacked his open palm 71 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 3: with the cricket bat slowly and stared with menace, And 72 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 3: then he said, listen here. If we don't hear small 73 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 3: acts on JBC before an hour pass, we smash your windscreen. 74 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 3: Then if another hour pass and we don't hear small acts, 75 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 3: we smash your face. Skill had recently begun helping the 76 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 3: Whalers out with what he called quote unquote management. His 77 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 3: Jamaican patois was a little easier for the cowering DJ 78 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: to understand than the words of Marley, who now fixed 79 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 3: the DJ with an intense game a look that those 80 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 3: who knew him called Screwface. The DJ had heard tale 81 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 3: of Marley and his muscle visiting the island's only other 82 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 3: major station, Radio Jamaica, earlier in the week. The damage 83 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 3: amounted to one broken nose, four slash tires, and a 84 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 3: sudden increase in airplay for Bob Marley. The only thing 85 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: that DJ was able to verify was that he had 86 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 3: indeed heard Small Acts on Radio Jamaica on his drive 87 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 3: to work that morning, and now here was Bob Screwface Marley, 88 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 3: the tough Gong himself, armed with a couple of thugs 89 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 3: and the country's best footballer staring. 90 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 2: Him in the face. He had only one choice. 91 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 3: And so Bob Marley's top selling Jamaican smash Small Acts, 92 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 3: cut through the island's airwaves and all around his hometown 93 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 3: people were finally able to hear Bob Marley on their radios. 94 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 3: His message was revolution, his message was love, His message 95 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 3: was peace, and so what if the message needed a 96 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 3: little strong arm to get across. Jamaican radio in the 97 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 3: nineteen seventies was difficult for rostas to crack. There were 98 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 3: only two radio stations on the island. One played disco 99 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 3: and the other was busy trying to be the BBC, 100 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 3: and they both ignored the musical revolution growing like weeds 101 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 3: right outside their studio doors. Reggae was alive throughout the 102 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 3: streets of Jamaica, a true music of the people. 103 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 2: Or in Jamaica, just like in America, it was pay 104 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 2: to play. 105 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 3: If you wanted a record plate on the radio, well, 106 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 3: you better show the program manager some love and come 107 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 3: calling with cash or coke, or women or all three. 108 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 2: But bribes weren't enough. 109 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 3: The proletariat power of reggae, even in those early days, 110 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 3: spooped radio programmers, and despite whatever enticements were brought their way, 111 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 3: DJs were still reluctant. 112 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 2: To accept them from the dreadlocked rostas. 113 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 3: But take life, Frowser and Skill brought a different set 114 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 3: of skills to the proverbial negotiating and things for the 115 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 3: whalers and Bob Marley slowly started to change. That the 116 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 3: radio station was ignoring the needs of the masses was 117 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 3: symptomatic of a larger political problem in Jamaica. The island 118 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 3: achieved independence about a decade before, in nineteen sixty two, 119 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 3: but Jamaica was still unapologetically neo colonial run by a 120 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 3: lazy white middle class minority who had their own interests 121 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 3: at heart and had no interest in losing their power 122 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 3: to the masses and the shantytowns. The gulf between the 123 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 3: rich and the poor seemed to widen daily. Even under 124 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 3: the socialist rule of Prime Minister Michael Manley and his 125 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 3: People's National Party, life in Jamaica was rough, so its 126 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 3: citizens looked to their government for change, and everyone, it seemed, 127 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 3: took an interest in politics, including it was rumored the 128 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 3: American government, who had a vested interest in ousting the 129 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 3: sitting Prime Minister in favor of their own puppet. So 130 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 3: sterious shipments of guns started floating up on Jamaican shor 131 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 3: as they were handed out in the ghetto, CIA agents 132 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 3: began training. 133 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 2: Rude boys on how to use their new M sixteen's. 134 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 3: Rumors started circulating the Prime Minister Michael Manley was a 135 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 3: Communist puppet for Cubas Fidel Castro, and as such, distrust 136 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 3: was sown and the tiny country was further destabilized. Meanwhile, 137 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 3: as Bob Marley's star rows and as his name began 138 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 3: to ring out throughout the island, he formed an alliance 139 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 3: with Michael Manley, the sitting Prime Minister, and his People's 140 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 3: National Party also known as the PNP in the early seventies. 141 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 3: The Whalers headlined a nineteen seventy one tour called the 142 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 3: PNP Musical Bandwagon, and whenever asked in interviews which of 143 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 3: the two parties he preferred, Bob would always stump for 144 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 3: the People's National Party and nearly all these interviews, and 145 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 3: Bob Marley did a lot of interviews. He would also 146 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 3: extol the virtues of Ganja, encourage all blacks to repatriate 147 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 3: to Africa, and pre that Mighty God was a living 148 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 3: man Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassii aka jah Rastafarai I and 149 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 3: I will survive. Bob was far out unconventional. Even so, 150 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 3: with his new clout, his endorsement of Michael Manley carried weight. 151 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 3: Bob was fast becoming an international superstar, and with or 152 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 3: without Jamaican radio, Jamaicans were listening to him an app 153 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 3: to follow his lead politically as well as his message 154 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 3: of revolution and justice. For years, Marley had been yearning 155 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 3: to expand his message beyond the island. He struck out 156 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,199 Speaker 3: on his own and the Whalers became Bob Marley and 157 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 3: the Whalers. After founding members Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston quit. 158 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 3: It was also time for Marley to get a new manager. 159 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 3: Although Skill Cole had been helpful or at least forceful, 160 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 3: in Marley's development, and he was a hell of a 161 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 3: lot of fun to kick the ball around with. Skill 162 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 3: was returning to the world of professional soccer. So in 163 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 3: nineteen seventy three, when The Whaler shared a bill with 164 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 3: Marvin Gay, Bob Marley met Don Taylor, the concerts organizer, 165 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 3: and a business relationship was struck. Taylor had strong US 166 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 3: music industry connections and a shrewd business acumen. This, coupled 167 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 3: with Marley's natural and immense appeal, helped Bob make influential 168 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 3: friends from other parts of the world. By the mid seventies, 169 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 3: most major rock acts had begun integrating reggae into their sound, 170 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:30,119 Speaker 3: and it was entirely because of Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, 171 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 3: Paul McCartney and Paul Simon. Some did it more convincingly 172 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 3: than others. Eric Clapton covered I Shot the Sheriff and 173 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 3: Clapton was God, and so to white kids, that meant 174 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 3: God was covering Bob Marley, a ghetto kid from a 175 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 3: tiny island, a large portion of the world had barely 176 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 3: heard of. Stevie Wonder even wrote a song about Bob Marley, 177 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 3: and after the Whalers shared a bill with Stevie, had 178 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 3: a benefit concert in nineteen seventy five, Bob decided he 179 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 3: wanted to give something back to the Jamaican people respect 180 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 3: his roots free concert. The concert was to be an 181 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 3: a political event called the Smile Jamaica Concert, but nothing 182 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 3: in Jamaica in nineteen seventy six was a political. Bob's 183 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 3: intention was to bring people together to ease social tensions 184 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 3: on the eve of a divisive election. Prime Minister Michael 185 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 3: Manley wanted the concert to be held on the Prime 186 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 3: Minister's lawn. Bob felt like he was being played by 187 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 3: Manley's political machine, being boxed into a position where he 188 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 3: would be seen as being too far out on his 189 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 3: front foot as a political shill. So Bob declined fuck 190 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 3: that Bob Marley wasn't going to go calling on the 191 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 3: Prime Minister. The Prime Minister could come calling on Bob Marley. 192 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 3: The concert, it was decided, would be held at the 193 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 3: National Heroes Park, but then shortly after the date of 194 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 3: the concert was announced, Manley's incumbent political party pulled a 195 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 3: fast one and moved the election up two weeks, effectively 196 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 3: making the event seem like a rally for Michael Manley himself, 197 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 3: when in effect that was never to be the case. 198 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 3: It did, indeed now look like Bob was shilling for 199 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 3: Manley to win the election. Bob Marley was pissed, but 200 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 3: perhaps more important, the heavily armed CIA backed Conservative Labor 201 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 3: Party back in the Ghetto was even more pissed. This 202 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 3: election was war. Every battle mattered, and if Bob Marley, 203 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 3: the country's biggest star, was openly supporting their sworn enemy, 204 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 3: Prime Minister Manly, then this was not to be tolerated. 205 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 3: Marley fully backing Manly, even by accident or by manipulation, 206 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 3: was a bridge too far, a bridge worth blowing up, 207 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 3: a bridge worth dying on. If Bob Marley was going 208 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 3: to help win the reelection for the Prime Minister, then 209 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 3: Bob Marley had to be stopped by any means necessary. 210 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 3: Bob marleyan made it. He knew this because he'd moved 211 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 3: from the slums of Trenchtown, Jamaica to a Kingston estate, 212 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 3: and perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps just because he 213 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 3: was a truly righteous dude. Bob Marley took Trench down 214 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 3: to Kingston with him. Bob was more than happy to 215 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 3: allow all sorts of friends and hangers on to get 216 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 3: together and feel all right at his swanky new digs. 217 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 3: And if in doing so he brought the property values 218 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 3: of his white devil neighbors down, then so be it. 219 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 3: His front yard was overrun by gangsters, gunmen, and half 220 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 3: naked children, many of them his own, from an ever 221 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 3: expanding stable of women who weren't his wife. Members of 222 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,439 Speaker 3: the Twelve Tribes of Israel, an intense sect of Rastafarianism, 223 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 3: of which Bob was a part, kept intense watchful eyes 224 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 3: over the makeshift Neu Voreche commune that Marley was bankrolling. 225 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 3: A reporter once asked Marley if he found it difficult 226 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,079 Speaker 3: to keep writing from the perspective of the struggling man, 227 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 3: now that he was no longer struggling, if he found 228 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 3: it difficult to stay in touch with the ghetto. Bob said, 229 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 3: find it difficult. Watch now, you look into my yard. 230 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 3: It's a ghetto. This is a ghetto you're looking at. 231 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 3: Look out there. I've just brought the ghetto uptown two 232 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 3: days before the Smile Jamaica concert was to take place. 233 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 3: Bob was standing in his kitchen, taking a break from rehearsal, 234 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 3: waiting on one of Jamaica's finest herbsmen to show up, 235 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 3: and sharing a grapefruit with Whaler's guitarist Don Kinsey. That's 236 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 3: when the gunshots ran out, pop pop pop. At first, 237 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 3: the sound was in the distance, it almost sounded like fireworks, 238 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 3: but then the second round came and there was no 239 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 3: mistaking the sound out in the yard of gunman shot 240 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 3: Bob's wife, Riada Marley in the head. Bob Marley's rosstafiring 241 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 3: and Valhalla was on a siege, and two white dots 242 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 3: and compacts had snuck in through the gates behind the 243 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 3: car of Bob's manager Don Taylor, and quickly two teams 244 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 3: of gunmen exited and had begun their hunt. They prowled 245 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 3: over the grounds under the cover of night, with pistols 246 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 3: and machine guns in hand, crouched slinking around, looking to 247 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 3: kill their man, the man with all the influence, the 248 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 3: man with the plan, the man they believed to be backing, 249 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 3: Michael Manly Bob Marley. After shooting Riader Marley, one of 250 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 3: the gunmen burst through the rehearsal room door into the 251 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 3: house and fired a revolver off with the assembled band numbers. 252 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:31,359 Speaker 3: The gunman was no more than sixteen years old and terrified. 253 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 3: He pissed himself while firing off multiple shots, all with 254 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 3: his eyes closed. Over in the kitchen, a masked gunman 255 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 3: stuck his head into the kitchen door. This dude wasn't 256 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 3: fucking around. He raised the barrel of his submachine gun 257 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 3: and emptied the clip toward the counter where Bob, his 258 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 3: guitarist Don Kinsey, and manager Don Taylor was situated. Bob 259 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 3: remained standing, but crammed his skinny body into a corner 260 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 3: to make himself as small as a target as possible. Don 261 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 3: Kinsey jumped behind some musical equipment as five bullets ripped 262 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 3: into Don Taylor's side and the upper legs, and then 263 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 3: a bullet found its way to Bob Marley. First it 264 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 3: grazed his breastbone, then it burst by his heart and 265 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 3: eventually lodged itself into the bicep of the singer's left arm. 266 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 3: And then, just as soon as they had arrived, gunmen 267 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 3: were gone. All that remained in their wake was smoke, silence, 268 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 3: blood and ruin. Bob Marley opened his eyes. He was 269 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 3: in pain, but he was calm. He knew that someday, 270 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 3: maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but one day 271 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 3: the people who did this would get theirs. He knew 272 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 3: in his bones that peace and love would not be 273 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 3: cowed by violence and hate, and that justice would one 274 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 3: day be coldly served. 275 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 2: We'll be right back after this word word word. 276 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 3: The blood was everywhere all over his body. Bob Marley 277 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 3: was a mess. Prime Minister Manley could hardly recognize the 278 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 3: singer when he got to the hospital. Miraculously down the 279 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 3: hall in a separate ward reader Marley lay in bed 280 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 3: in fair condition, despite having a bullet lodged between her 281 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 3: scalp and her skull, and Don Taylor had to be 282 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,160 Speaker 3: airlifted to a hospital in Miami. Bob was placed inder 283 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 3: national protection by the Prime Minister and quickly ushered out 284 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,360 Speaker 3: of the hospital to a remote home in Jamaica's Blue 285 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 3: Hills that belonged to Island records head Chris Blackwell. The 286 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 3: Smile Jamaica concert that Bob had been planning for a 287 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 3: few days later had not yet been called off, despite 288 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 3: the headlines that gripped the island, detailing the shootout at 289 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 3: Bob's home. Political pressure continued to mount, and so did 290 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 3: the pressure on Bob to perform and not give in 291 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 3: to the fear that his would be assassin's were counting on. 292 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 3: Manley's political machine was keen on Bob not backing out. 293 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 3: It was symbolic, don't give an inch to these animals, 294 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 3: don't let them see sweat. But Bob, like the rest 295 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 3: of the country, had no idea how dangerous performing would be. 296 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 3: What would happen when he went on stage. He had 297 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 3: a bullet lodged in his arm. The doctors told him 298 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 3: he might never be able to play guitar again if 299 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 3: they removed it. He told him to leave the bullet in. 300 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 3: Bob knew he'd rise to the occasion. But what about Rita? 301 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 3: She still had a bullet in her head. In her head, 302 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 3: how was she supposed to sing backup alongside him? And 303 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 3: Scarier than all that the assassins were still at large, 304 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 3: and they were still out there when they tried to 305 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 3: finish the job while Bob was on stage, gut him 306 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 3: down from the shadows of the crowd. Fear hung heavy. 307 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 3: The tension in the air was palpable. All of Jamaica 308 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 3: felt it. This wasn't just politics, this was justice, This 309 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 3: was right and wrong. This was quite literally freedom, the 310 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 3: freedom to use your voice, the freedom to speak truth 311 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 3: to power, the freedom to make your living, the freedom 312 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 3: to live. And the gossip surrounding the shooting was everywhere, 313 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 3: and most Jamaicans were convinced the CIA did it, or 314 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 3: at least put the guns in the hands of the 315 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 3: people who did do it, coached them up from the 316 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 3: ghettos and trained them to kill as they had anti 317 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 3: Castro Cubans a decade and a half earlier. 318 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 2: The public pointed to. 319 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 3: The song rat Race on the most recent Whalers album 320 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 3: Rasta Mann Vibration as illustrative of the beef. And there 321 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 3: was also a proof that people said because Carl Coby, 322 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 3: the son of former Director of the CIA, William Colby, 323 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 3: was in Jamaica as part of a film crew to 324 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 3: shoot the Smile Jamaica concert, and sons of powerful CIA 325 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 3: men showing up at the crime scenes of culture shifting 326 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 3: assassinations is not an entirely uncommon thing. Senator Prescott Bush, 327 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 3: a man who literally helped invent the CIA, you might 328 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 3: want to look into the presence of his son, George H. W. 329 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 3: Bush in Dallas on the day President John F. Kennedy 330 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 3: was killed. And while you're at it, check into the 331 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 3: declassified nineteen ninety one FBI file on George Bush's activities 332 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 3: immediately following the assassination, as well as his experience with 333 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 3: anti Castro Cubans. The photographic evidence, though grainy, does not lie. 334 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 3: Google it, but I digress sort of because in nineteen 335 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 3: seventy six, the year Bob Marley was shot, the year 336 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 3: Jamaicans believed the CIA was running guns in support to 337 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:25,639 Speaker 3: those who opposed their Prime Minister Manly, exactly as the 338 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 3: CIA had been doing for anti Castro Cubans a decade 339 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 3: and a half earlier. Do you know who was the 340 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 3: head of the CIA at that time? The answer George H. W. 341 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 2: Bush. More rumors persisted the. 342 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 3: Shooting happened because Bob and Skill Cole fixed a horse 343 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 3: race and made a lot of bad people a lot 344 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 3: less money. The shooting happened because Don Taylor, Bob's manager, 345 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 3: was in major debt after skimming off the top of 346 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 3: concert grosses and gambling the money away. The shooting happened 347 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 3: because one of Bob's route boys got Bob to finance 348 00:20:55,640 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 3: a scam that backfired majorly a fact or fiction, it 349 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 3: didn't matter. The truth was that Bob needed to lay 350 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 3: low for a hot minute and cool out. He sat 351 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 3: back in Chris Blackwell's plush leather recliner and took a. 352 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 2: Cheek hollowing hit off a spliff. 353 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 3: Outside in the darkness, rasta vigilantes surrounded the house, armed 354 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 3: with graye a ganja for themselves and sharp machetes for 355 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 3: anyone who dare come try and fuck with Bob Marley again. 356 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 2: Bob let his head wander. 357 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 3: The Smile Jamaica concert was all he could think about, 358 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 3: and was he going to perform? Would he be killed 359 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 3: in the process, and who would want to kill him? 360 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 3: He was Bob Marley. He was a man of peace. 361 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 3: His songs inspired people to love one another, not to kill. 362 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 3: Songs of freedom. He fought for justice, he fought for equality. 363 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 3: And this was horseshit. And this wasn't even supposed to 364 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 3: be a political show. It was supposed to be his show, 365 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 3: Bob Marley's show for his people. He had to do it. 366 00:21:55,880 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 3: Fuck the assassins, fuck the politicians, fuck the CIA. He 367 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 3: heard one of his home invaders was so scared he 368 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 3: pissed his own short pants. Amateur Bob was a pro 369 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,679 Speaker 3: a professional musician, a professional healer, a prophet, a true 370 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,400 Speaker 3: man of the people. If the punk shooters CIA backed 371 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 3: no Soul mercenaries had the balls to try and finish 372 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 3: the job at the concert, the crowd would have Bob's back. 373 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 3: He was Jamaica's favorite son. Or if things went south 374 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 3: and the assassins managed to get a shot off or worse, 375 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,199 Speaker 3: put a bullet in him, he'd go down doing what 376 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,400 Speaker 3: he did best, bringing the truth to the people and 377 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:32,159 Speaker 3: dying for it. 378 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 2: And it was a cause worth fighting. 379 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 3: For, especially if the weapon of choice was music, and 380 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 3: really going out in a blaze of bullets on stage 381 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 3: would make him a martyr, and that's the last thing 382 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 3: the CIA would have wanted. Martyrs last a lot longer 383 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 3: than one term political pawns. 384 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 2: His mind was made up. 385 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 3: Shit was On the day of the show finally came, 386 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 3: Tens of thousands of fans flocked to National Heroes Park. 387 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 3: The opening performers, Third World, took the stage, not knowing 388 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 3: if they'd be the reluctant headliners or the warm up 389 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 3: act for one of the most historically significant shows in 390 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 3: the history of regae and the history of music. And 391 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 3: what was going to happen? Was Bob Marley actually going 392 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 3: to go through with it? Were they're warming up the 393 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 3: stage for a dead man? Crowd had no idea what 394 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 3: to expect. What if the entire show was a ruse, 395 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 3: a scam. What if Bob was actually out of the 396 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,199 Speaker 3: country and hiding and all the concert goers were to 397 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,959 Speaker 3: be exterminated. That's a hell of a lot of PMP 398 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 3: supporters who wouldn't be alive to cast their votes for 399 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 3: Manly Or if the real Bob did step on stage, 400 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 3: how long we last? Were they going to have to 401 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:38,360 Speaker 3: watch their hero get rubbed out in front of them? 402 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 3: Was this about to be some real life rasta version 403 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 3: of a snuff film? And the what IF's weighed on everyone, 404 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 3: especially Rita, and she couldn't stand the idea of not 405 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 3: being there for her husband, for her country. She busted 406 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 3: out of the hospital before being discharged, decided against chancing 407 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 3: a taxi and instead stole a car from the hospital 408 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 3: parking lot and hotailed it out to Chris Blackwell's house, 409 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 3: where Bob was laying low. When she arrived barely recovered 410 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 3: from her bullet wound, wearing a hospital gown with not 411 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 3: so fresh bandages. 412 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 2: On her head. Bob took one look. 413 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 3: At her and we considered, maybe this wasn't such a 414 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,400 Speaker 3: good idea. He knew she'd need some convincing. Bob told 415 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 3: her the plan was to do only one song and 416 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:20,919 Speaker 3: Rita could get with that. 417 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 2: It would be War figuratively and literally. 418 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 3: Yes, War is the song that years later Sinead O'Connor 419 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 3: would sing as she ripped apart a picture of the Pope. 420 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 2: On Saturday Night Live. 421 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 3: But that was like sticking your tongue out at somebody 422 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 3: when they turned their back, compared to the giant fuck 423 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 3: you statement Bob would make to his assassins with the 424 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 3: same song on stage later that day. You're trying to 425 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,440 Speaker 3: shoot me down, Try again, You can't kill the tough gun. 426 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 3: Efforts are made to round up the rest of the whalers, 427 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 3: but since not everybody could be located by showtime, it 428 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 3: was decided that members of Third World would sit in on. 429 00:24:58,000 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 2: The missing instruments. 430 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 3: What was only supposed to be one song would unravel 431 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 3: to become ninety of the most intense minutes of live 432 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 3: performance ever captured on film. One of the cameramen may 433 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 3: have been the son of former CIA director, but that 434 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,880 Speaker 3: was a red herring. The footage of the show is 435 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 3: grainy and hyper real, and the crowd is raging, and 436 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:21,239 Speaker 3: the exchange of energy between Bob and the audience is 437 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 3: close to being. 438 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 2: Something you can actually touch. 439 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 3: The stage itself is jam packed with musicians, bodyguards and 440 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 3: hangers on, sworn protectors of Bob Marley, keeper of the 441 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 3: People's Flame, air to Rastafarai himself that you can see it, 442 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 3: feel it. They're literally willing to take a bullet for him, 443 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 3: the singer who survived a hailfire of bullets just two 444 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 3: days before, and Marley himself flails in what little stage. 445 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 2: Space he has. He sees as if. 446 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 3: He's singing directly to the assassins themselves. The songs course 447 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 3: through him with an electric current of the liberated masses. 448 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 3: Rita is at his side, still her hospital gown and 449 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 3: holding it down. Her head is still bandaged again from 450 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:09,359 Speaker 3: a bullet. After seven songs of protest, Marley shifts the 451 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,920 Speaker 3: mood from defiance to exuberance and performs trench Town Rock 452 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 3: at the end of the fifteen song set, Bob handed 453 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 3: off his mic, stepped to the lip of the stage 454 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 3: and unbuttoned his shirt to show that eighty thousand people 455 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 3: in attendance's bullet wounds. And this is the stuff religions 456 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 3: are built upon. Nobody fucks with the tough gun. Bob 457 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 3: Marley's manager, Don Taylor, was screaming in horror, but it 458 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 3: didn't matter. Nobody could cure him, accept Skill Cold and 459 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 3: a few other members of the entourage, but Skill Cole 460 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 3: didn't care. 461 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:57,880 Speaker 2: The screams got them off. 462 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 3: Violence, even just the threat of violence fuelled caused his 463 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 3: chest to bubble above his heart and just below his 464 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 3: throat with that giddy rhythm. 465 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,719 Speaker 2: It was like sex, but better and right now Skill 466 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 2: was he for it. 467 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 3: He and another member of Marley's muscle had Taylor by 468 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 3: his ankles and were hanging him out of the seventh 469 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 3: story window of the palace into Continental Hotel in the 470 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 3: African country of Gabon. Taylor was pleading frantically for his life. 471 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 3: He didn't do it, He said he couldn't have done it. 472 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:29,920 Speaker 3: He said he was one of them, He loved them, 473 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,880 Speaker 3: He was trustworthy, he swore. But then, of course, as 474 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 3: the fear really said it, and it came apparent just 475 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 3: how serious skill Cole was about dropping Dawn out of 476 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 3: the window. The music manager sang a different tune. Okay, 477 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 3: he did do it, but only because he had mouthed feud, 478 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 3: and only because he knew Bob would have missed the money. 479 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 2: And besides, he was planning on paying every penny back. 480 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 3: Yes, he'd get Bob all of his money back if 481 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 3: only they let him live. Skimming off the top of 482 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 3: Bob Marley's concert proceeds had been a lot lucrative scam 483 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 3: for Don Taylor, but it was about. 484 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 2: To cost him his life, so he thought anyways, But 485 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: Bob thought otherwise. 486 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 3: Because Bob was in a buying he couldn't really throw 487 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 3: his manager out of the window of his hotel. But 488 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 3: he also couldn't just fire hi. Don Taylor knew too much. 489 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 3: He knew all Bob's secrets. He was also the only 490 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 3: one who knew where all Bob's bank accounts were. So 491 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 3: he was hauled back into the hotel suite and beat 492 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 3: about the head and face by Bob Marley and his 493 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:29,639 Speaker 3: mat And Bob. 494 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 2: Took a gallon of milk and poured it all over 495 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 2: Don and his wounds. 496 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 3: Skill cocked the hammer of a twelve gage shotgun and 497 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 3: took aim at Don's badly beaten head. Don swayed, somehow 498 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 3: still able to stand on his feet. Two dazed and 499 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 3: too confused from the beating to be scared anymore. Bob 500 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 3: Marley pulled Taylor down violently by his shoulder into a 501 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 3: chair and shoved a nine millimeter into his temple. With 502 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 3: his free hand, Bob grabbed the other side of Don's 503 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 3: head and pressed his head like a vice into the 504 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 3: barrel of the gun. 505 00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 2: Barely containable rage. 506 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 3: Seizing from the roast of firing and superstar someone pushed 507 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 3: a pen into his manager's hand and a revised contract 508 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 3: was furnished. Don Taylor, with Bob Marley pressing a nine 509 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 3: millimeter hard into the side of his head, was forced 510 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 3: to sign away all of his rights to Marley's management 511 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 3: and allowed to stay on to continue managing Bob's business affairs, 512 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 3: albeit under the very watchful hard eyes of Skill Coal. 513 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 3: Justice and Bob's mind was served, and Man Suge Knight. 514 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 2: Didn't invent anything. 515 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 3: It had been two years since Bob Marley had been 516 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 3: back to Jamaica. He spent his time recording in England 517 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:37,239 Speaker 3: and touring the rest of the world, and in one 518 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 3: wild burst of creativity he ripped off two great albums, 519 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 3: Exodus and KaiA. The songs Jamming, is This, Love, Satisfy, 520 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 3: my Soul, Natural, Mystic, and even Three Little Birds are 521 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 3: beyond incredible, their genre defining. You probably know most of 522 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 3: them from the legend CD that that douchebag Trustafarian down 523 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 3: the Hall from You and Your Dorm played on repeat 524 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 3: non stop Freshman Year. But if you can detach yourself 525 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 3: from that memory, the song shine and consistently call out 526 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 3: for triumph, justice and even for vengeance. So in the 527 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 3: spring of nineteen seventy eight, when Bob Marley returned to 528 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 3: Jamaica after two year exile in the UK, vengeance was 529 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 3: very much on his mind. Bob was in town to 530 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 3: perform at the One Love Peace concert, but after the 531 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 3: show he had other business to tend to. Rumor has 532 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 3: it that after the show was over, Don Taylor ushered 533 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,480 Speaker 3: Bob to Trench Town, where a kangaroo court was in 534 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 3: session on trial two of the men who invaded Bob's 535 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 3: home and tried to gun him down two years earlier. 536 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 3: Marley's men hurled insults in questions at the accused. Bob 537 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 3: hung back, quiet, cool, stern, stoic scooface full effect. The 538 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 3: accused pleaded for their lives. Their cries of innocence were 539 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,960 Speaker 3: mocked by Bob's muscle. A growing mob of trench Town 540 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 3: locals grew impatient. Something had to give guilty. The verdict 541 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 3: came in cold. The next of the accused men were 542 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 3: threaded through two trench Town uses and strung. 543 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 2: Up high in a palm tree. 544 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 3: Bob Marley turned and walked away behind him. The guilty 545 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 3: swung violently across the Great Divide to meet their maker, 546 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 3: their feet jerking, their shoulders twitching, and their necks snapped. 547 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 2: Vengeance had been delivered in court. 548 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 3: Years later, when Don Taylor was asked who actually carried 549 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 3: out the execution, he said, because of the love of 550 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 3: Bob Marley by the people. The people took it upon themselves. 551 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 3: They felt the government wasn't moving fast enough. Other friends 552 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 3: of Marley cried bullshit. The nuts simply doesn't fit the screw, 553 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 3: they say. Bob Marley was a good man, a man 554 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 3: of mercy, not a man of vengeance. 555 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 2: He couldn't do that. While there was something called the 556 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 2: One Love Peace Concert. 557 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 3: But Bob Marley's strong arming DJs and Bob Marley's strong 558 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 3: arming his cheating business manager, those stories are accepted as truth. 559 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 3: Bob Marley was a badass. Go to YouTube and check 560 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 3: out the Smile Jamaica concert. What's more badass than appearing 561 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 3: on stage with fresh bullet holes and taunting your assassins. 562 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,840 Speaker 3: So imagining Don Taylor's account of a vengeful Bob Marley 563 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 3: presiding over the kangaroo court that found as would be 564 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 3: assassins to be guilty is not exactly beyond a reasonable 565 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 3: doubt whether or not Bob Marley did have anything to 566 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 3: do with it. Most accounts hold that every single gunman 567 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 3: who entered Bob's house that night in nineteen seventy six 568 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 3: was indeed eventually brought to justice in violent and dramatic fashion. 569 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 3: In addition to the hanged men, two other gunmen were 570 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 3: poisoned with a powerful hallucinogen. One night, two other wannabe 571 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 3: Marley killers were followed into the Jamaican Hill by a 572 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 3: group of Rasta vigilantes. Both of their throats were slit 573 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:07,040 Speaker 3: ear to ear. They were left to bleed out and 574 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 3: die slaughtered like the dirty goats that they were. Another 575 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 3: gunman from that faithful night back in Kingston was caught 576 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 3: up with all the way up in New York City. 577 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 3: He caught a bullet in the head, and finally, the 578 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 3: last of Bob Marley's would be assassins was rounded up 579 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 3: in Tivoli Gardens. He was briefly bound and gagged while men, 580 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 3: very capable men quietly and methodically dug for him a 581 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 3: shallow grave. His bins were removed and he was buried 582 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 3: alive in the rich Jamaican soil. 583 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 2: Right, wrong, justice, vengeance. 584 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 3: For some these are just words, and for others there 585 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 3: are ideals to live by, to fight for, to die for, 586 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,720 Speaker 3: to kill for. When you grow up in the ghetto 587 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 3: amongst stone, cold killers, schemers and thieves, own. 588 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 2: Weakness isn't an option, It's a death sentence. 589 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 3: Bob Marley made it out of the ghetto, but in 590 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 3: this great future, you can't forget your past. 591 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,720 Speaker 2: I'm Jake Brennan, miss is Disgraceland. 592 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 3: Disgraceland was created by Yours Truly and is produced in 593 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 3: partnership with Double Elvis. Credits for this episode can be 594 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:29,160 Speaker 3: found on the show notes page. 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Visit disgracelampod dot com slash membership for details, 604 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 3: rate and re you the show and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, 605 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 3: Twitter and Facebook at disgracelampod and on YouTube at YouTube 606 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 3: dot com slash at disgracelampod. 607 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 2: Rock a Roller, He's a bad don man.