Bob Marley

Bob Marley was a one-man musical movement. Sure, there was reggae before him and after him but for most of the world Bob Marley WAS reggae. He took a musical movement that previously had been heard seldom outside of the Caribbean (let's not forget too that reggae was essentially religious music) and brought it to the forefront of the musical world, in the process infusing new life into rock and roll and opening people's minds to the fact that there was music outside the cozy confines of the American-European culture club.

By 1980 he had reached the pinnacle of his power and influence, mediating a tense political standoff in Jamaica, singing at the independence celebrations in Zimbabwe and becoming to many a semi-religious figure himself. Little more than a year later though, he was dead; overcome by cancer. This coming Wednesday marks the 30th anniversary of that sad day.

The nation of Jamaica held a state funeral for him and millions in Africa and around the world mourned his passing. But while his influence lives on, reggae as a musical force never fully recovered or knew just where to go without him.

Here he is in 1980 performing in Germany.