May 11 marked the 30th anniversary of the death of iconic musical and Rastafarian figure, Bob Marley.

Marley rose to prominence as the founding member of the reggae outfit The Wailing Wailers – eventually changed to Bob Marley and The Wailers – in the early sixties.

The group would go on to establish themselves as one of Jamaica’s hottest acts.

After a brief stay in America and a rearranging of the group, Marley moved back to Jamaica and reformed the band, reestablishing themselves with wildly popular songs steeped in Rastafarian rhetoric.

In 1980, after becoming the most significant reggae artist of all time, Marley was diagnosed with cancer.  After battling the disease for eight months, Marley succumbed in a Miami hospital on May 11, 1981. However, his message of peace will forever live on through his timeless music.