Rita Marley
| Rita Marley | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alpharita Constantia Anderson |
| Born |
25 July 1946 Santiago de Cuba, Cuba |
| Origin | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | Shanachie |
| Associated acts | Bob Marley and the Wailers, The I Threes |
Alpharita Constantia "Rita" Marley OD (née Anderson; 25 July 1946), is a Cuban-born Jamaican-Ghanian singer and the widow of Bob Marley. She was a member of the vocal group the I Threes, along with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, who gained recognition as the backing vocalists for Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Rita was born in Santiago de Cuba to Leroy Anderson and Cynthia "Beda" Jarrett. She grew up in the upper level of Beachwood Avenue, located in Kingston, Jamaica. In her book No Woman, No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley, she describes how she was raised by her Aunt Viola on Greenwich Park Road.
In the mid 1960s, Rita met Bob Marley after meeting Peter Tosh. After it was learned that she was a singer, she was asked to audition for the Soulettes. The group included Rita, her cousin Constantine "Dream" Walker, and Marlene "Precious" Gifford Bob Marley, then a member of the Wailers vocal trio along with Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh, became the group's mentor and manager and through working together, he and Rita fell in love.
Soulettes released recordings include rocksteady tunes such as Time for Everything, Turn Turn Turn (released in 1966, this was a cover of the Byrds' hit song based on a Bible quote) and A Deh Pon Dem. Friends and Lovers, One More Chance and That Ain't Right (featuring harmony vocals by the Wailers), as well as a duet by Rita and Bunny Livingston, Bless You were issued years later on the Lovers and Friends album.
After those recordings for the Studio One label coached by Bob, Rita married Bob Marley around February, 1966, just before her husband moved to Wilmington, Delaware (USA) for a few months to make a living working at the Dupont Hotel there. Bob was replaced by Constantine "Vision" Walker, who recorded a few songs as a member of The Wailers during this period.
Upon Bob's return at the end of the summer of 1966, Bunny Livingston, Peter Tosh and Bob created their independent label Wail 'n' Soul'm, which released several Bob Marley and the Wailers as well as Peter Tosh and the Wailers 45RPM single records including Bend Down Low, Hypocrites and Tosh's Dem Haffi Get a Beatin' in 1966-1968.
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