Today, on what would have been his 67th birthday, we pay tribute to the great Bob Marley. Marley, sadly passed away in 1981 at the much-too-young age of thirty-six, but he still manages to have an impact and cultural presence today, thirty-one years after his death.

Marley’s ever-present message of unity and perseverance in the face of oppression has inspired indigenous communities worldwide. The Australian Aboriginals burn a flame in his honor in Sydney’s Victoria Park, Native American tribes revere his work and tributes to Marley take place all over the world from South America to India. There’s even a statue of Marley in Banatski Sokolac, Serbia! The United Nations recognized Marley’s inspirational message for the downtrodden and awarded him the Peace Medal of the Third World in 1978. For a musician to receive this honor demonstrates that there was more to Marley than a great voice and a captivating stage presence.

His influence on the world of music, however, also cannot be understated. Numerous musicians from almost every genre site Marley as an influence. “Exodus” was ranked the “Greatest Album of the 20th Century” by Time Magazine in 1999. In 2001, he won the Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Rolling Stone ranked him Number 11 in their list of the 100 Greatest Musicians of All-Time in 2004.

This week we’re ticketing a number of events around the country that pay tribute to Marley and we wanted to give you a quick guide so you can go out and pay tribute to this great man and his universal message.

Tuesday, February 7

Bob Marley Birthday Celebration & Tribute – Eugene, Oregon  The NW Bob Marley Tribute tour is back again for 2012 celebrating Robert ‘Nesta’ Marley’s Birthday with a night full of Bob’s greatest reggae songs. This year’s vocalists are Marty Dread, Hawaii’s reggae ambassador to the world, and Alcyon Massive, from Ashland OR, alongside the mighty Escort Service band feat Acoustic Minds twin sister’s Jenni and Amanda Price. And just to raise the bar further, this year we are performing two whole albums, with Marty singing 1979’s “Survival,” and Alcyon singing 1980’s “Uprising.” Get your tickets now and come get down all night, cause if it’s all night, it’s got to be all right! Also coming to the Applegate Valley on Wednesday, February 8.

Saturday, February 11

Bob Marley Birthday Bash with Natti Love Joys – Knoxville, Tennessee  Join Relix Variety Theatre for the Bob Marley Birthday Bash with Natti Love Joys! Sponsored by 90.3 The Rock – UT’s College of Rock!

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Tuesday, February 21

Bob Marley & the Wailers  – Huntington, New York  Bill Shelley will present clips from rare concert footage from Germany, Jamaica, Boston, Los Angeles and Marley’s famed London concerts, along with performances from studio rehearsals and television footage. Some of the songs included are “Jammin,'” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Redemption Song,” “Get Up, Stand Up” and more!