Bob Marley's life and career seen in completely new light in unseen snaps

On what would person been Bob Marley's 80th birthday, the Mirror tin uncover exclusive images of the precocious instrumentalist that person until now, ne'er been published

Bob Marley was calved 80 years agone contiguous – and we tin observe his beingness done these uncommon photos that amusement intimate moments and his connected signifier beingness that millions of radical inactive emotion to this day.

In 1975, aft gathering Bob successful London, Kate Simon gained unsocial entree to the Wailers, capturing intensely idiosyncratic moments and events. “I was successful my 20s erstwhile I met Bob," Kate recalls. "We spent a batch of clip unneurotic connected the roadworthy and we developed a rapport, truthful helium became comfy with maine photographing him, whether it was connected the road, going done customs, unrecorded connected signifier oregon astatine location sitting successful beforehand of his location successful Kingston."

The publication Rebel Music presents implicit 400 photographs from Kate Simon's singular archive, astir of which were published for the archetypal time, immoderate of which are shown here. In 1975, Kate Simon photographed Bob Marley and the Wailers astatine the Lyceum successful London, wherever the now-legendary unrecorded show of ‘No Woman No Cry’ was recorded.

Thereafter, they collaborated passim the Seventies, with Simon shooting immoderate of the astir intimate, enduring and emblematic images ever taken of Marley, including his iconic Kaya medium screen portrait.

Kate says: “While connected the roadworthy with them, I often heard the Wailers accidental that they were connected a mission. Their circuit felt dissimilar immoderate different tour; it felt similar a complaint of bully energy. It was powerful.” Despite dying aged conscionable 36, Bob was an inspiration to truthful galore different musicians from each genres of music.

Born successful Jamaica connected February 6, 1945, helium is considered 1 of the pioneers of reggae, with immense hits including No Woman No Cry, One Love and I Shot The Sheriff. Writing successful the publication Rolling Stone Keith Richards says: "Jamaica was bursting with endowment and originality. Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Kenny Boothe and Eric Donaldson were everywhere. It reminded maine of the ambiance successful '63 erstwhile The Beatles and The Stones were changing the look of popular music.

"No 1 volition ever hide the interaction Bob and Jamaican euphony had connected the world." And Lenny Kravitz says: “Beyond class and boundaries, Bob Marley started a musical, spiritual, societal and governmental revolution. He was raw. He was powerful. He was vulnerable. He was uniquely his own. He was a genius without pretence. He is legend.

"This postulation of timeless photographs gives america an up adjacent wrong look astatine this uniquely analyzable antheral and superb iconic creator who everlastingly changed the world. One love…” It is estimated that Bob has income of much than 75 cardinal records worldwide.

Photographer Kate possibly sums up his bequest champion successful the publication erstwhile she says: "Now erstwhile I deliberation of Bob, I deliberation of truthful galore things. I deliberation of however his euphony doesn't dependable dated, however it is inactive current." He died successful May 1981 from crab but his euphony continues to unrecorded on.

• Rebel Music: Bob Marley & Roots Reggae by Kate Simon is retired present published by Genesis Publications

Like this story? For much of the latest showbiz quality and gossip, travel Mirror Celebs onTikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads.