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Mother Booker joins beloved son Bob Marley
By Basil Walters Observer staff reporter
Saturday, April 12, 2008
(hey Observer man - today is Friday, August 11)
As was first reported in Chat!, (our sister afternoon paper) on Wednesday, the mother of reggae icon Bob Marley died late Tuesday at her home in South Miami-Dade County. She was 82 years old.
Cedella Booker... mother of Bob Marley passed away recently
The matriarch of the Marley family passed away peacefully in her sleep leaving behind other children, one of whom is Pearl Livingston, a sister of Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley, numerous other grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Mother Booker or Mother B, as she was affectionately called, attended the last two concerts in Jamaica featuring her second generation of children. These are Jamrock in December and the Africa Unite/Smile Jamaica concert in February. Her grandchildren who performed on these shows were Ziggy, Stephen, Damion, Julian and K-ymani Marley.
Since news broke of her passing, tributes have been pouring. Expressing sadness in her passing, Prime Minister Bruce Golding described her as a star in her own right, noting her accomplishments as a performer and author while hailing her devotion to family.
"Mrs Booker's life was one of hardship, struggle and eventual fulfilment, and through it all, she exuded hope, strength and confidence," said Prime Minister Golding, who also noted the joy she always expressed in the success of her grandchildren as well as in the preservation of Bob's legacy.
Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, in expressing regret at the passing of the mother of Jamaica's most famous international superstar, noted that it was her strength of character that influenced Bob Marley's discipline and determination in taking reggae music to the world, and hailed Mrs Booker's contribution to Jamaican culture as invaluable.
Minister Grange thanked Mrs Booker for the gift of her son and said that in raising Bob as a single mother, she epitomised the strength of the Jamaican woman.
Mrs Booker was a singer and songwriter in her own right as well as author of two books - Bob Marley, My Son and Bob Marley: An Intimate Portrait by His Mother.
Cedella Booker was born Cedella Malcolm on July 23, 1926.
According to her book, Bob Marley, My Son, she married Norval Sinclair Marley, a white Jamaican of English ancestry, when she was 18. Norval Marley was a Marine officer, as well as a plantation overseer. Bob was 10 years old when Norval died of a heart attack in 1955 at age 60. Cedella and Bob then moved to Trench Town in Kingston, where Bob's music career began.
Booker later remarried an American man and moved to Delaware in the United States.
Minister Grange said Mrs Booker would be deeply missed as she had become a popular figure around the world, seeking to further spread the powerful messages that her son had delivered in song.
She added: "Mrs Booker was the matriarch of a movement so powerful, that the mystical qualities of the Marley musical legacy remain strong and potent, as seen in her grandchildren Ziggy, Cedella, Stephen, Kymani, Julian, Damian and the others.
"Jamaica has lost a true heroine and I wish to express condolences to the family. May they find solace in knowing that Mrs Booker's life was well lived and that the contributions she made will not be forgotten."
In paying tribute to Mrs Booker, the Women's Movement of the People's National Party (PNP) stated in their press release; "As the matriarch of this family the values and attitudes passed on by her to this great family made sure that they were always mindful of those who were dispossessed."
American author Robert Roskind who came to Jamaica several times with his Gathering of the Peacemakers and Healing of the Nation international crusades/concerts in which he uses Bob Marley as a source of inspiration, said he has nothing but fond memories of Booker. "It was Mama B that agreed to allow us to use Bob's home for our first gathering. I will always honour that decision and I am grateful she allowed us to use his home to give back to Jamaica a culture that has given my family so much. She was and is a class act. A simple, country girl who grew into a worldy, and yet uncorrupted, woman and, like her son, held true to Jah's guidance in her life. She will be much missed and much honoured," said Roskind, who adopted Marley's song of the century, One Love, as the theme for his worldwide peace movement.
And of course, the entertainment fraternity is not to be left out. Another American, this time noted reggae historian Roger Steffens told Splash; "She (Mother Booker) was a Universal Mother in every sense of the word. All who encountered her left her presence with a smile on their face and in their heart. Much of Bob's power and strength came directly from her, and he affected her life, especially in her embrace of Rastafari, as much as she affected his."
Through their Dallas,Texas-based publicist Jobe Enterprises, Montego Bay-based Jamaican singer Mackie Conscious, Inner Visions reggae band from Texas and Patrick Robb-Sinai Records, and Texas' KNON 89.3 Irie FM reggae radio DJ crew, have expressed condolences.
"Mother B's presence will surely be missed by the massive on an international level. She not only gracefully shared with us her first-born son, reggae icon the late Robert Nesta Marley, she afforded us a sense of being in the reggae entertainment field. Mother B lifted us up in song with the release of Smilin Island of Song, You Gotta Move, Awake Zion and Mother Don't Cry.
By Basil Walters Observer staff reporter
Saturday, April 12, 2008
(hey Observer man - today is Friday, August 11)
As was first reported in Chat!, (our sister afternoon paper) on Wednesday, the mother of reggae icon Bob Marley died late Tuesday at her home in South Miami-Dade County. She was 82 years old.
Cedella Booker... mother of Bob Marley passed away recently The matriarch of the Marley family passed away peacefully in her sleep leaving behind other children, one of whom is Pearl Livingston, a sister of Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley, numerous other grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Mother Booker or Mother B, as she was affectionately called, attended the last two concerts in Jamaica featuring her second generation of children. These are Jamrock in December and the Africa Unite/Smile Jamaica concert in February. Her grandchildren who performed on these shows were Ziggy, Stephen, Damion, Julian and K-ymani Marley.
Since news broke of her passing, tributes have been pouring. Expressing sadness in her passing, Prime Minister Bruce Golding described her as a star in her own right, noting her accomplishments as a performer and author while hailing her devotion to family.
"Mrs Booker's life was one of hardship, struggle and eventual fulfilment, and through it all, she exuded hope, strength and confidence," said Prime Minister Golding, who also noted the joy she always expressed in the success of her grandchildren as well as in the preservation of Bob's legacy.
Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, in expressing regret at the passing of the mother of Jamaica's most famous international superstar, noted that it was her strength of character that influenced Bob Marley's discipline and determination in taking reggae music to the world, and hailed Mrs Booker's contribution to Jamaican culture as invaluable.
Minister Grange thanked Mrs Booker for the gift of her son and said that in raising Bob as a single mother, she epitomised the strength of the Jamaican woman.
Mrs Booker was a singer and songwriter in her own right as well as author of two books - Bob Marley, My Son and Bob Marley: An Intimate Portrait by His Mother.
Cedella Booker was born Cedella Malcolm on July 23, 1926.
According to her book, Bob Marley, My Son, she married Norval Sinclair Marley, a white Jamaican of English ancestry, when she was 18. Norval Marley was a Marine officer, as well as a plantation overseer. Bob was 10 years old when Norval died of a heart attack in 1955 at age 60. Cedella and Bob then moved to Trench Town in Kingston, where Bob's music career began.
Booker later remarried an American man and moved to Delaware in the United States.
Minister Grange said Mrs Booker would be deeply missed as she had become a popular figure around the world, seeking to further spread the powerful messages that her son had delivered in song.
She added: "Mrs Booker was the matriarch of a movement so powerful, that the mystical qualities of the Marley musical legacy remain strong and potent, as seen in her grandchildren Ziggy, Cedella, Stephen, Kymani, Julian, Damian and the others.
"Jamaica has lost a true heroine and I wish to express condolences to the family. May they find solace in knowing that Mrs Booker's life was well lived and that the contributions she made will not be forgotten."
In paying tribute to Mrs Booker, the Women's Movement of the People's National Party (PNP) stated in their press release; "As the matriarch of this family the values and attitudes passed on by her to this great family made sure that they were always mindful of those who were dispossessed."
American author Robert Roskind who came to Jamaica several times with his Gathering of the Peacemakers and Healing of the Nation international crusades/concerts in which he uses Bob Marley as a source of inspiration, said he has nothing but fond memories of Booker. "It was Mama B that agreed to allow us to use Bob's home for our first gathering. I will always honour that decision and I am grateful she allowed us to use his home to give back to Jamaica a culture that has given my family so much. She was and is a class act. A simple, country girl who grew into a worldy, and yet uncorrupted, woman and, like her son, held true to Jah's guidance in her life. She will be much missed and much honoured," said Roskind, who adopted Marley's song of the century, One Love, as the theme for his worldwide peace movement.
And of course, the entertainment fraternity is not to be left out. Another American, this time noted reggae historian Roger Steffens told Splash; "She (Mother Booker) was a Universal Mother in every sense of the word. All who encountered her left her presence with a smile on their face and in their heart. Much of Bob's power and strength came directly from her, and he affected her life, especially in her embrace of Rastafari, as much as she affected his."
Through their Dallas,Texas-based publicist Jobe Enterprises, Montego Bay-based Jamaican singer Mackie Conscious, Inner Visions reggae band from Texas and Patrick Robb-Sinai Records, and Texas' KNON 89.3 Irie FM reggae radio DJ crew, have expressed condolences.
"Mother B's presence will surely be missed by the massive on an international level. She not only gracefully shared with us her first-born son, reggae icon the late Robert Nesta Marley, she afforded us a sense of being in the reggae entertainment field. Mother B lifted us up in song with the release of Smilin Island of Song, You Gotta Move, Awake Zion and Mother Don't Cry.