Rita Marley, whose real name is Alpharita Constantia Marley, is a Jamaican-Ghanaian singer who was born in Cuba. She was the globally renowned singer and songwriter Bob Marley’s wife. She is noted for not just maintaining her career as a solo performer following Bob’s death, but also for carrying on her late husband’s musical legacy. She established the Bob Marley Foundation, a humanitarian organization dedicated to assisting individuals in poor nations who are in need. She began her career singing on the radio in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. She soon began performing with her cousin Constantine Walker and a friend, Marlene Gifford. ‘The Soulettes’ was their moniker. Bob Marley, who was impressed by their performance, began working with them and eventually became their mentor. Rita eventually became a member of Bob Marley and the Wailers, a popular reggae band. The studio album ‘Natty Dread’ was her first collaboration with the band. It was the group’s first album to chart in the Billboard 200’s top 100. On Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, the album was ranked 181st. Rita Marley is well noted for her charitable efforts. She not only adopted 35 children in Ethiopia, but she also helped over 200 youngsters at a Ghanaian school.
Childhood and Adolescence
Rita Marley was born on July 25, 1946, as Alpharita Constantia in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second largest city. Leroy Anderson and Cynthia Jarrett were her parents. Her mother abandoned her when she was five years old. She was raised by her father and an aunt in Kingston, Jamaica, where she was born.
When her father went to England to look for employment, she was only thirteen years old, and she was left with her aunt. She finished high school and enrolled in the Bethesda School of Practical Nursing shortly after. Her studies, however, was sadly halted due to an unplanned pregnancy. Sharon, her firstborn child, was born in 1964.
Career of Rita
Rita Marley started her career as a radio vocalist. She eventually joined her cousin Constantine Walker and friend Marlene Gifford on stage. They once performed for Bob Marley’s band, the ‘Wailing Wailers,’ and impressed him with their performance.
Marley set up an audition for Rita’s band with Clement Dodd, the former head of the Studio One record label. Later on, Bob Marley acted as a mentor for the ‘Soulettes,’ a trio of singers who were now known as the ‘Soulettes.’
‘Time for Everything,’ ‘Turn Turn Turn,’ and ‘One More Chance,’ as well as ‘That Aint Right,’ are among the rocksteady tunes recorded by the trio.
Rita Marley created the vocal ensemble ‘I Three’ with Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths to serve as backup vocals for Bob Marley and the Wailers. Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Cherry Smith, and Beverley Kelso were among Bob Marley’s band members.
The studio album ‘Natty Dread’ was her first collaboration with the band. It was the group’s first album to chart in the Billboard 200’s top 100. She and the band made a number of other CDs that were well-received around the world.
Bob Marley staged a free performance in 1976 with the help of Michael Manley, Jamaica’s Prime Minister at the time. Bob, Rita, and their manager were ambushed by gunmen two days before the show. They did, however, survive and eventually relocated to London. Bob lost away from cancer in 1981. Rita Marley continued to pursue her music career after her husband’s death. She released a few albums that helped her gain recognition and success in the United Kingdom.
Major Projects of Rita
With the band ‘Bob Marley and the Wailers,’ Rita Marley worked on multiple albums. ‘Natty Dread,’ published in 1974, was her debut album with the band, and it was also the band’s first album to chart in the top 100 of the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 92. The album also charted at No. 44 on the Billboard Black Albums Chart and No. 92 on the Billboard Pop Albums Chart. It was ranked 181st on ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine’s list of ‘The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’ in 2003.
Another of the band’s most important works is ‘Exodus,’ which was released in 1977. It generally dealt with issues such as sex, religious politics, and transformation. ‘Turn Your Lights Down Low’ and ‘Three Little Birds’ were among the album’s highlights. It reached No. 20 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. The song also peaked in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden.
Rita Marley collaborated with the band on the reggae album ‘Uprising’, which was released in 1980. Bob Marley’s Rastafarian views are reflected in the majority of the songs on the album. ‘Could You Be Loved’ and ‘Forever Loving Jah’ are two of the album’s hit tunes. It received largely positive feedback.
Achievements & Awards
Rita Marley was given the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in 1996. She got the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Award in 2010. She was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of the West Indies.
Personal History and Legacy
When Rita was still a member of the Soulettes, she fell in love with Bob Marley. In 1966, they married. The couple had three children together: Cedella, born in 1967, David, born in 1968, and Stephen, born in 1972. She was also the mother of three more children from previous relationships.
Despite the fact that Bob Marley had other relationships, the couple remained together until his death. She also had an extramarital affair as a result of her dissatisfaction with her marriage. Following Bob Marley’s death from cancer in 1981, she formed the ‘Bob Marley Charitable Foundation,’ named after her husband, to aid people in underdeveloped nations. It addresses themes like poverty and hunger.
Estimated Net Worth
Rita Marley OD is a Jamaican singer who was born in Cuba and has a net worth of $50 million. Rita is the widow of Bob Marley, the reggae legend and musician, and she was a member of the I Threes, Bob’s backing vocalists.