A special concert celebrating Birmingham's reggae history is to take place on what would have been Bob Marley's 80th birthday. The Reggae Origins concert will see Basil Gabbidon and musicians from Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) join forces on Thursday evening at the city's Town Hall.

Unfortunately, Marley fell ill and died on May 11, 1981, at the age of 36 at the peak of his career. The singer was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer called melanoma, under his big toenail in 1977. Marley initially believed it to be a football injury, but after a second doctor performed a biopsy, it was determined to be cancer.

A Bob Marley superfan said listening to his music had "made him a better person" on what would have been the reggae legend's 80th birthday. Robert Flake, 59, from Driffield, East Yorkshire, said he had first discovered Marley's music in his sister's record collection when he was a teenager and had listened "all the time" ever since.

The estate of Bob Marley has lined up a series of events to celebrate what would have been the reggae legend's 80th birthday. The festivities begin Thursday with an ‘Uprising' Tribute Concert livestream from the family's Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston,

From the pulsating beat of the keteh drum courtesy of the iconic Bongo Herman to the musical stylings of the grandchildren of the late reggae legend, the celebrations held under the theme ‘Join the Uprising’ was a most fitting tribute to the King of Reggae.

O n February 6, 2025, the one and only Bob Marley would have turned 80. The Jamaican singer and activist is one of the most respected artists in history and left an incredible leg