1. Alfarita Constantia "Rita" Marley OJ OD is a Jamaican reggae singer.
21 Facts About Rita Marley
1. 2.
Rita Marley is the widow of reggae musician Bob Marley.
3.
Rita Marley was born in Santiago de Cuba, to Leroy Anderson and Cynthia "Beda" Jarrett.
4.
Rita Marley's parents moved to Kingston, Jamaica, when she was three months old.
5.
Rita Marley sang vocals on a dozen fine rocksteady and soul tracks, most of which were not issued at the time.
6.
Bunny had returned to the Wailers at the end of 1968 and Rita Marley did not record with Bob until 1974, when her husband formed the I Three harmony vocal group featuring Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt to replace Peter and Bunny, who had left the band in 1973.
7.
Rita Marley survived a shot to the head and Taylor sustained serious injuries from being shot in the leg.
8.
In 1981, Rita Marley purchased Ken Khouri's Federal Records recording studio, the island's first pressing plant, and the company subsequently moved from 56 Hope Road to 220 Marcus Garvey Drive, where it continues to operate.
9.
In 1986, Rita Marley decided to convert Bob Marley's home into the Bob Marley Museum.
10.
Rita Marley is the founder and chairwoman of the Robert Marley Foundation, Bob Marley Trust, and the Bob Marley Group of Companies.
11.
Rita Marley adopted 35 children in Ethiopia and has assisted over 200 children in Konkonuru Methodist School in Ghana.
12.
In 1996, Rita Marley was conferred the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government for her contributions to the development of Jamaican music and culture.
13.
In 2010, Rita Marley was conferred with the prestigious Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award.
14.
In November 2015 Rita Marley was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of the West Indies.
15.
In September 2016, Rita Marley suffered a stroke while on a visit to Miami to attend a special event and has kept a low public profile since.
16.
Rita Marley made her first public appearance since then at an award ceremony in Kingston on March 9,2019, along with her fellow I Three members Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt to accept the Iconic Award, given by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association.
17.
In 2019, Rita Marley was honoured by the Jamaican Government with its fourth-highest national honour, Order of Jamaica.
18.
In October 2022, Rita Marley was awarded the Jamaican Consulate General's Lifetime Achievement Award and was honored by the South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center during Jamaica's National Dance Theatre Company.
19.
Rita Marley established the Rita Marley Foundation, which focuses on alleviating poverty and hunger and providing education in Ghana and Jamaica.
20.
On 1 July 2024 on International Reggae Day, Rita Marley received the Winnie Mandela Humanitarian Award at the JulyOne celebrations hosted by the City of Miramar in Florida and Consul General Oliver Mair.
21.
Rita Marley has six children, three with Bob and three from other relationships.