Music icon Bob Marley inspired generations of artists with his work – but did you know that despite his huge fame and fortune, the star did not leave a will?
The No Woman, No Cry and One Love singer died on May 11, 1981 from cancer at the age of 36 years old.
However, he did not choose to leave a will, leaving his estate embroiled in a legal battle that lasted for more than a decade.
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On what would have been 78th birthday (February 6), Daily Star takes a closer look at Bob Marley’s estate and what happened to it.
Million dollar fortune
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Bob Marley was considered one of the pioneers of reggae music, releasing hit songs including One Love, Jamming and Could You Be Loved throughout his career.
Working with The Wailers, Bob has since amassed a gigantic 75 million album sales.
The singer was also posthumously inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994 and given a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
It is no surprise then that at the time of his death, Bob Marley had a fortune of $11.5m (£9.3m) according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Tragic death
(Image: Getty Images)
In July 1977, Bob was diagnosed with a type of skin cancer called acral lentiginous melanoma.
The cancer had spread from under one of his toenails, and was discovered when he suffered an injury while playing football.
However, Smooth Radio reports that he refused to have his toe amputated and instead underwent a skin graft on his toe, but the cancer spread to other parts of his body.
(Image: Hulton Archive)
The singer later collapsed while jogging through Central Park, New York during American tour dates and later performed his final tour date in Pittsburgh in 1980.
Bob underwent treatment, but died at Cedars Of Lebanon Hospital in Miami on May 11, 1981 at the age of 36 years old.
The singer was given a state funeral in Jamaica on May 21, 1981, where Prime Minister Edward gave the eulogy.
(Image: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)
He said: “His voice was an omnipresent cry in our electronic world. His sharp features, majestic looks, and prancing style a vivid etching on the landscape of our minds.
“Bob Marley was never seen. He was an experience which left an indelible imprint with each encounter. Such a man cannot be erased from the mind. He is part of the collective consciousness of the nation.”
No will
(Image: WireImage)
Despite his huge fortune, Bob decided not to make a will.
Forbes reported that the star did not make a will as “Bob Marley’s Rastafarian faith prohibited him from recognizing his mortality, and therefore, from creating a will. That meant his assets would pass under Jamaican intestate law when he died.”
This led his estate to be divided according to Jamaican laws in the absence of a will.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The laws and regulations stated that 10% of the estate would go to the deceased person’s widow, while 45% of the estate would be distributed to the widow over their lifetime.
The remaining 45% of the estate would be divided equally among the deceased’s children.
However, not everyone agreed with the laws in the absence of a will, and initiated a legal battle over the estate.
Legal battles
(Image: Hulton Archive)
Bob Marley’s estate was contested in court, resulting in a ten year legal battle.
Grunge reported that there were claims to the singer’s estate from his children, bandmates and his music label during this time, before the case was finally settled in 1991.
According to Caribbean National Weekly, The Jamaican Supreme Court ruled in favour of Rita Marley and Chris Blackwell’s Island Logic Ltd – the company that had controlled the singer’s estate since 1989.
Island Logic Ltd controlled the estate for a further ten years, before it was passed to Rita and Bob’s 11 children.
The Jamaican Supreme Court also ruled that the exclusive right to use Bob Marley’s name, likeness and image for commercial purposes would be managed by his children.
Bob Marley’s Estate now
(Image: Redferns)
Bob Marley’s estate continues to be managed by four of his children, under the name House Of Marley, while his remaining children sit as members of the board.
Along with royalties from the singer’s records, the estate also earns an income from Bob Marley themed merchandise.
In 2018, Forbes stated that Bob Marley was the 5th highest earning dead celebrity, with a revenue of $23m (£18m) going to his estate.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
