AI shows what Bob Marley would look like on his 79th birthday years after tragic death

It’s been 43 years since the tragic death of Jamaican singer Bob Marley, and now artificial intelligence has revealed what he would look like today.

In July 1977, the No Woman, No Cry hitmaker was diagnosed with a type of skin cancer acral lentiginous melanoma. The cancer was discovered when he suffered an injury while playing football when doctors spotted cancerous cells under one of his toenails.

According to Smooth Radio, the musician refused to have his toe amputated and instead underwent a skin graft on his toe. But unfortunately, the cancer spread to other parts of his body despite medical intervention.

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The dad-of-11 later collapsed while he was jogging through Central Park, New York during the American leg of his global tour. Bob later performed his final tour date in Pittsburgh in 1980.

Although the Three Birds singer underwent treatment, he died at Cedars Of Lebanon Hospital in Miami on May 11, 1981 at the age of 36. The singer was given a state funeral in the heart of Jamaica on May 21, 1981, where Prime Minister Edward gave the eulogy.

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.”

The hitmaker was considered one of the pioneers of reggae music, catapulting to stardom with hit songs such as One Love, Jamming and Could You Be Loved. Working with The Wailers, Bob has amassed a jaw-dropping 75million 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. At the time of his death, Bob had a fortune of $11.5m (£9.3m) according to Celebrity Net Worth.

In exclusive pictures generated by AI system Midjourney, Bob is still seen sporting his signature dreadlocks and goatee beard . In the incredible images, the chart-topper can be seen wearing a red and yellow Rasta cap as he famously did throughout his career.

Although his hair has greyed a little, the musician still looked as calm as ever as he beamed while playing the guitar. In one picture, Bob rocked a green jumper which he teamed with a pair of light grey trouser.

He accessorised his ensemble with a few gold rings and added a beaded necklace around his neck and looked tranquil as he smoked in the garden. The musician could be seen with a few extra wrinkles around his face as he beamed to the camera.

Despite his eye-watering fortune, Bob decided not to make a will. Forbes reported the star did not make a will because “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.” 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. But not everyone agreed with the laws in the absence of a will and initiated a gruelling legal battle over the estate.

His estate was contested at court, resulting in a 10-year legal battle. Grunge reported at the time that there were claims to the singer’s estate from his children, bandmates and his music label.

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 10 years before it was passed down 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.

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Now, Bob’s estate continues to be managed by four of his children under the name House of Marley, while his remaining six 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 fifth highest earning dead celebrity, with a revenue of $23million (£18million) going into his estate.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk