London:
He spoke against racism in hissongs, but reggae legend Bob Marley's angst over hismixed-race background led him to "blacken" his trademarkdreadlocks with shoe polish.
A new book I&I: The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh andWailer claims that the Jamaican-born icon was insecure overhis race and desperately wanted to fit in, reported Guardianonline.
In the book, his widow Rita Marley recalls how herhusband, born to a white father and a black mother, asked herto "rub shoe polish in his hair to make it more black, make itmore African."
The author, Colin Grant, interviewed some of thesinger's relatives and those close to him for the book, whichwill be published in January.
Among those featured are Marley's late mother, CedellaBooker and Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, whichreleased most of his music.
"When Marley moved to Trench Town in Kingston aged 13he was thought of as a white man and would have got a lot ofgrief for that," said Grant.
"His father was a so-called white man who moved inwhite circles, and it was unusual to marry a black lady. Buthe did. It's interesting that Marley went on to do that aswell. He married a very black lady, Rita, and that was a timewhen people married up and out of colour. He did exactly theopposite," added Grant.
Grant added that while this part of Marley's life waswell known in Jamaica, it is the first time that the extent ofhis insecurities and prejudices he faced has been revealed.
Marley was born in 1945. His father, Norval SinclairMarley, was a white Jamaican of English descent.
The Get Up Stand Up hit-maker once said of hisbackground, "Me don't dip on nobody's side. Me don't dip onthe black man's side not the white man's side. Me dip on God'sside, the one who create me and cause me to come from blackand white."
Marley, who died in 1981 was at the height of his famein the mid-70s when he was diagnosed with cancer.
It was while living in Trench Town that he met BunnyWailer and Peter Tosh, both of whom are also featured in thebook. The trio formed the band The Wailers, whose mostfamous songs included I Shot The Sherriff and No Woman NoCry.
After the band broke up in 1974 Marley continuedrecording as Bob Marley And The Wailers with a new backingband, and released the classic album Exodus, which includedthe hits One Love, Jamming and Waiting In Vain as wellas the title track.
He died of cancer in 1981 aged just 36.
A new book I&I: The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh andWailer claims that the Jamaican-born icon was insecure overhis race and desperately wanted to fit in, reported Guardianonline.
In the book, his widow Rita Marley recalls how herhusband, born to a white father and a black mother, asked herto "rub shoe polish in his hair to make it more black, make itmore African."
The author, Colin Grant, interviewed some of thesinger's relatives and those close to him for the book, whichwill be published in January.
Among those featured are Marley's late mother, CedellaBooker and Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, whichreleased most of his music.
"When Marley moved to Trench Town in Kingston aged 13he was thought of as a white man and would have got a lot ofgrief for that," said Grant.
"His father was a so-called white man who moved inwhite circles, and it was unusual to marry a black lady. Buthe did. It's interesting that Marley went on to do that aswell. He married a very black lady, Rita, and that was a timewhen people married up and out of colour. He did exactly theopposite," added Grant.
Grant added that while this part of Marley's life waswell known in Jamaica, it is the first time that the extent ofhis insecurities and prejudices he faced has been revealed.
Marley was born in 1945. His father, Norval SinclairMarley, was a white Jamaican of English descent.
The Get Up Stand Up hit-maker once said of hisbackground, "Me don't dip on nobody's side. Me don't dip onthe black man's side not the white man's side. Me dip on God'sside, the one who create me and cause me to come from blackand white."
Marley, who died in 1981 was at the height of his famein the mid-70s when he was diagnosed with cancer.
It was while living in Trench Town that he met BunnyWailer and Peter Tosh, both of whom are also featured in thebook. The trio formed the band The Wailers, whose mostfamous songs included I Shot The Sherriff and No Woman NoCry.
After the band broke up in 1974 Marley continuedrecording as Bob Marley And The Wailers with a new backingband, and released the classic album Exodus, which includedthe hits One Love, Jamming and Waiting In Vain as wellas the title track.
He died of cancer in 1981 aged just 36.
