42 Years After Bob Marley’s Death Checkout The Status Of Rita Marley, His Wife

42 years on since Bob Marley’s Death, we have gathered information about how his wife, Rita Marley is faring. Let’s check out the status of Rita Marley below.

 Status Of Rita Marley

Recognized for surviving a complicated relationship with Bob Marley and gunshot wound to the head during a failed attack on the couple her life has been very incredible as her late husband’s.

Rita met Bob at the age of just 19 while working in Kingston, Jamaica as a nurse. Ambitious and passionate about music, she asked Bob to help her initiate her very own musical career and the famous singer obliged. After introducing her to producer Coxsone Dodd, he later helped to manage her singing group, the Soulettes. Rita’s talent for music was obvious, and she helped Bob write two of his tracks, “Nice Time” and “Stir it Up.” Before long, the pair experienced passionate feelings for, and they married in 1966. Although the couple had a muddled relationship Bob had many affairs and fathered multiple children with other individuals during the marriage, Rita remained intensely devoted to her husband.

After her husband’s death, the energetic young woman didn’t wither away as a widow, instead going on to become enormously wealthy and reaching new lengths in her own singing career. In addition to her music, her success in philanthropy has also impacted many lives.

While Bob Marley was still alive, Rita Marley was part of the I-Threes, a three-woman reggae group that sometimes sang backing vocals for Bob. After his death, she went on to become a fruitful independent artist as well. Her best-known album, “Who Feels It Knows It,” was released in 1981, the year Bob kicked the bucket. Although the album did pretty well, Following a massive legal battle over the Marley estate, Rita vanished for a time, but she began recording again in the late ’80s.

She has since released many more albums, including an album of covers of Bob Marley’s songs. Her most respected album, “We Must Carry On” was even nominated for a Grammy. Music, for Rita, has also remained a family business, and she has pushed her children see a positive outcome with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers (four members of which are Bob’s children).

After Bob Marley’s death, Rita Marley was able to transform $250,000 from the singer’s estate into a business worth over $20 million a year. Her wealth at selling Bob Marley merch and records was not without its controversies, however. Rita was awarded the Marley estate after Bob made no will, causing conflict with the other members of the Wailers who wanted their share.

Rita told the Evening Standard, “Bob asked his lawyer what would happen if he didn’t make a will and she said: ‘Your wife and children will be okay.’ Which was good enough for him.” As a result, she spent years fighting various lawsuits, despite the fact that she claims to have freely offered as much as $1 million to the Wailers. During the lengthy legal battle, unreleased Bob Marley records were blocked, and disclosures emerged that Rita had been made to sign a fake will. Finally, the estate passed into government hands before being handed back to the family in 1991.

Once Rita recovered control of the estate, she and Bob’s oldest daughter Cedella, created a multi-million dollar business that includes a Bob Marley museum. They also sell everything from typical music merchandise to Bob Marley brand cannabis and mushrooms.

Since earning her enormous wealth, Rita Marley has not sat inactive. Her greatest legacy of all has been her commitment to philanthropy across the globe. A lot of her charity work has been carried out in Ghana, and she was even awarded honorary Ghanaian citizenship in recognition of her efforts.

Rita’s work has included everything from supporting Methodist schools in the country to providing food and supplies to impoverished communities. Although she already had six biological children, she also adopted 35 Ethiopian children as part of her charitable mission. She has received countless awards both in Jamaica and abroad in recognition of her projects.

READ: What You Need To Know About Kwahu

In 2000, Rita created the Rita Marley Foundation with a mission to “alleviate poverty and champion female empowerment in Jamaica and Ghana.” In 2023, the Foundation launched $4,000,000 worth of scholarships for ladies seeking university education.