The London house Bob Marley lived in while recording his groundbreaking album Exodus has been commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque.
Marley lived with The Wailers Band in 1977 at 42 Oakley Street in Chelsea, west London, while completing the record, which features hits including Jamming, Three Little Birds, and One Love.
Unveiling the plaque on Tuesday, British Rastafarian poet Benjamin Zephaniah told the BBC: “It’s very difficult to say what Bob Marley would have said about this plaque, but he did once say, ‘Live for yourself, you will live in vain, live for others, and you will live again’, so I’m quite sure he would say that this is for his people and his music.”
The plaque’s official unveiling marked the start of Britain’s black history month, and is part of a push to recognise more ethnic minority figures with the honour, which has previously been used to mark homes fellow musicians John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, and Mozart used.
Marley’s recognition had been held up because he was not registered at the address and gave a different place of residence to police officers during an arrest for cannabis possession in 1977 to prevent a search of the premises.
However, English Heritage officials confirmed the house was the band and Marley’s base from contemporary reports.
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