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Bob Marley: A Rebel Life
Description (200 words)
In this photograhic tribute to Bob Marley, close friend and celebrated photographer Dennis Morris, pays tribute to an artist and performer who became a spiritual avatar to millions. Morris photographed Marley at almost every point in his career and the resulting images are intimate shots that could only have been taken by a trusted friend, capturing the essence of the man and his many moods. Morris’s own recollections of Marley accompany the images, along with quotations from Marley that reveal his thoughts on life, politics and being black in a white man’s world. Together the text and images show a hitherto unseen Bob Marley, offering insights into his life on the road, in the studio, onstage and at home in Jamaica with his family. The book also has a complete discography of Marley recordings.
In this photograhic tribute to Bob Marley, close friend and celebrated photographer Dennis Morris, pays tribute to an artist and performer who became a spiritual avatar to millions. Morris photographed Marley at almost every point in his career and the resulting images are intimate shots that could only have been taken by a trusted friend, capturing the essence of the man and his many moods. Morris’s own recollections of Marley accompany the images, along with quotations from Marley that reveal his thoughts on life, politics and being black in a white man’s world. Together the text and images show a hitherto unseen Bob Marley, offering insights into his life on the road, in the studio, onstage and at home in Jamaica with his family. The book also has a complete discography of Marley recordings.
- GenresBiography
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
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About the author
Dennis Morris
11 books5 followersDennis Morris is a British artist who has used the camera to produce an in-depth body of work on extraordinary individuals.
Closely associated with music, Morris has created some of the most iconic and memorable images of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols, as well as the Marianne Faithfull Broken English album cover. He has also captured the essence of the Sikh community of Southall, UK; the collection was subsequently bought by English Heritage. Morris also created the iconic Public Image Ltd logo and the band’s first two album sleeves, including the Metal Box.
Several books of his work have been published, including Bob Marley: A Rebel Life; The Bollocks, on the Sex Pistols; and Growing Up Black, a chronicle of Black Britain in the 1960s and 1970s.
His work is well recognized and has been exhibited internationally at the Today Art Museum, Beijing; Laforet Museum, Tokyo; Arles Photography Festival, France; The Photographers’ Gallery, London; The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Tate Britain, London; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland.
His photographs are included in prestigious public and private collections, such as Tate Britain, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and have appeared in numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, Time, GQ, Vogue, W, and Frieze. His work is included in books such as Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century by Greil Marcus; Century by Bruce Bernard; and 100 Days of Active Resistance by Vivienne Westwood.
Closely associated with music, Morris has created some of the most iconic and memorable images of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols, as well as the Marianne Faithfull Broken English album cover. He has also captured the essence of the Sikh community of Southall, UK; the collection was subsequently bought by English Heritage. Morris also created the iconic Public Image Ltd logo and the band’s first two album sleeves, including the Metal Box.
Several books of his work have been published, including Bob Marley: A Rebel Life; The Bollocks, on the Sex Pistols; and Growing Up Black, a chronicle of Black Britain in the 1960s and 1970s.
His work is well recognized and has been exhibited internationally at the Today Art Museum, Beijing; Laforet Museum, Tokyo; Arles Photography Festival, France; The Photographers’ Gallery, London; The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Tate Britain, London; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland.
His photographs are included in prestigious public and private collections, such as Tate Britain, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and have appeared in numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, Time, GQ, Vogue, W, and Frieze. His work is included in books such as Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century by Greil Marcus; Century by Bruce Bernard; and 100 Days of Active Resistance by Vivienne Westwood.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 1, 2025
I bought this book almost 30 years ago, and come back to it every few years. It was my first in depth look at Bob Marley and his life, aside from a VHS biography I had of him. I'm glad this was the book I chose as an introduction to the life of a man whose words have helped shape me. The photographs are a window that allow me to peer just a bit into Marley's fascinating life. I feel like we are friends as I flip through these rare photos. I never get tired of looking at them. Many hold him on a pedestal, but this book keeps him grounded. It shows his imperfections, and his greatness. I could go on and on about this photobiography, but I won't. Have a look for yourself. There has been no one like him on this earth, and I don't know that there will ever be again.
Displaying 1 of 1 review