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Remembering Bob Marley's Mom

Thousands of people in Jamaica turned out last weekend to celebrate the life of Bob Marley's mother, who apparently died earlier this month, in a development I totally missed. Her name was Cedella Booker, and she died at the age of 81, outliving her son by 27 years. Bob Marley, the reggae superstar who was (argument starter) the most notable musician of the 20th century, now leaves behind only his seemingly endless procession of kids to carry on his name—his British dad died in 1955. We should also note that Marley once had a brief affair with Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Noted! Anyhow, let's take a moment to remember Cedella Booker, who recorded two albums herself, and wrote two books about her son [The Root]. Her life produced a net gain in the world's happiness. How shall we memorialize her? With a video of her son singing "Natural Mystic," of course:

5:12 PM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Hamilton Nolan
1,026 views
18 comments

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contradicto at 05:20 PM on 04/29/08
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Not to knock on Bob Marley, who is brilliant, but Terence Trent D'Arby is the most notable musician of the 20th century.

So stick that in your wishing well and suck it.
adminslave at 05:23 PM on 04/29/08
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My best friend is originally from Barbados. Her Mom knew Bob Marley, and had been taken to a party by him once. He had wanted to date her, but she was dating my friend's Dad at the time, and Marley was, according to my friend's Mom, "a bad man who smoked the pot." But then she [the mom] was notorious for stealing my friend's wine and drinking it all, so who knows, maybe I should check out the video and see if I recognize anyone familiar.
Bell County at 05:30 PM on 04/29/08
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@contradicto: You continue to sign your name across my heart.
Nard at 05:31 PM on 04/29/08
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@contradicto: A wishing well of crocodile tears?
CaptainHangNail at 05:35 PM on 04/29/08
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Is Bob Marley the gentleman that rapped on the track 'Informer'?
IndianSlipper at 06:09 PM on 04/29/08
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hot damn! bobmarleyannawintoursextape.com is available!
contradicto at 06:13 PM on 04/29/08
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@IndianSlipper: Mandingo, that's awesome!
famousauthor at 06:52 PM on 04/29/08
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Do you really thing that Marley was a more important musical figure than Pat Boone?
Priam at 07:11 PM on 04/29/08
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[uk]

+ Watch video
SarahHeartburn at 07:37 PM on 04/29/08
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Stuff the snark and snot, kids. Jamaica is a wonderous nation, and that has nothing to do with the tourist image that it has had to propagate to survive. I was lucky enough to have been able to go there 10 years ago, for two weeks, when I stayed with some friends who worked there in the foreign service for Spain, which was not at all glamourous. (In terms of salary and services, kind of like working for the DMV in Queens.) Real low budget.We stayed in the cheapest hostales, traveled back roads and stayed away from the reggae tourist traps. I grew up in NYC and studied and worked with and taught Jamaican immigrants and always loved the culture and people, and loved it more when I got to know it all in the country. As a local there described it, the Ireland of the Caribbean: music and literature and life that survived colonial oppression, just barely. There's a lot more to Marley than we know from his music, and his people deserve respect and interest.
arguablythemostfamous at 07:50 PM on 04/29/08
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@SarahHeartburn: I really don't think anyone said anything disrespectful
famousauthor at 07:56 PM on 04/29/08
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@arguablythemostfamous: Certainly not me. I just think Pat Boone is underrated. In a Roy Rogers sort of way.
SarahHeartburn at 08:02 PM on 04/29/08
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Okay. I guess it's late in my time zone and I can't quite explain how deeply I feel. I leave you with this, my favorite prayer (and I'm a stone cold atheist).

+ Watch video
RedHotAries at 04:26 AM on 04/30/08
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@contradicto:
So you're saying that a one album wonder is more brilliant than someone who produced one classic, awe-inspiring hit after another? are you related to Terence or something?
gawkimo at 07:47 AM on 04/30/08
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And then millions of white college pledges remove their baseball caps, put down their bongs, scratch their heads and express stone-y disbelief that Bob Marley's mom has been alive all these years. Then in her honor they put in "Legend" (the worst reggae album of all time) and cash the bowl for mama.
if_i_only_had_a_heart at 09:42 AM on 04/30/08
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@SarahHeartburn: same same

there used to be (still is?) a reggae bar near wrigley field, and we'd all go over there after being blasted in the bleachers and it all seemed very transcendent at the time
contradicto at 11:36 AM on 04/30/08
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@RedHotAries: You can't actually think that I was being serious, can you?

And, yes. Yes, I am.
RedHotAries at 11:38 PM on 04/30/08
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@contradicto:
Doh! sorry I was being a thickie. I just thought that anybody who can actually remember him AND name a tune, must be serious....