The Remarkable Bob Marley

"Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect and I don't live to be. But before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean."

One has to wonder what the world would have been like if Bob Marley had had a successful solo career. This Bob Marley quote, "Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect and I don't live to be. But before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean," comes from the first single he recorded as a solo artist, Judge Not.

It was judged, and rather harshly, as it was not well received by the public. That didn't deter Marley, however. Along with some friends, he formed the Wailing Wailers, whose first single, Simmer Down, topped the charts in Jamaica in 1964.

Though popular in their native land, the Wailers continued to struggle financially and the group changed its line up several times before Marley briefly moved to the United States where his mom was living. After returning to Jamaica, he got back together with some of his band mates. By now, his spiritual path was leading him to Rastafarian, and his music began to change as well, becoming more political and spiritual.

The Wailers' big break finally came in 1972 when they landed a contract with Island Records and opened for Bruce Springsteen and Sly & the Family Stone. Eric Clapton turned Marley's I Shot the Sheriff into a number one hit in the U.S., making Bob Marley a household name.

Bob Marley Quotes