Sharon Marley Says Mom Rita Marley Deserves National Hero Honor Alongside Bob Marley
Sharon Marley, the eldest daughter of Bob Marley, says his widow, Rita Marley also deserves, just like the late Reggae icon, to be conferred with the title of National Hero of Jamaica.
Her statements come a week after Opposition Senator Floyd Morris served notice in the Upper House of the Jamaican Parliament, that he would be moving a motion for Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Usain Bolt, and Louise Bennett Coverly to be all made National Heroes, no later than Independence Day next year.
During Saturday night’s episode of Onstage with Winford Williams, the host mentioned that there have been calls for her father to be made a hero, and asked how she felt about it.
“Why not?” Sharon responded. “And then of course, the queen has to be with him, so my mother should be a hero too.”
“You know the King and Queen of Ethiopia were crowned at the same time, so you can’t have the King and not think about the Queen,” she added.
Williams, seeking clarity, asked the 57 year old: “So you think there should be a joint declaration?”
“Why not Winford? You tell me. Why not? They have done so much for Jamaica. Is just that the light don’t shine on Mummy like how the light shine on Bob, for whatever reason. The groundwork is still there,” she explained.
“The information is there to show how much my mom has done not only for Jamaica, but the African Diaspora and this is what Bob’s dream was. So, she’s basically carrying on Bob’s dream. Bob said we have to have a place in Africa and she took this as her mission after he passed away and made sure we have a place in Africa. I mean she raised us from she was like 35 years old all by herself. I think that deserves some kind of recognition,” the Melody Maker said.
Sharon’s interview was staged to promote the visuals for her new song Just one more morning, a cover version of the 1998 original by Rita. The song, which was released in August this year, was done in tribute to Rita to mark her 75th birthday.
The music video for Just One More Morning, was directed by Sharon’s daughter Donisha Prendergast, and premiered a few days ago on Tuff Gong Television.
The song which was produced by her nephew, Soul Rebel of Tek Time Music and released via Tuff Gong International, is not only Sharon’s first official release as a solo artist, but is her first recording in two decades.
Her mother Rita, was born Alfarita Constania Anderson on July 25, 1946 in Cuba, to parents Cynthia “Beda” Jarett and Leroy Anderson, and was adopted by her Aunt Viola, a well-respected seamstress, after her parents separated.
Rita, who lived in Trench Town in Kingston, met Bob whilst in her teens before they got married on February 10, 1966. The union produced three children: daughter Cedella and sons Ziggy and Stephen.
Bob also adopted Sharon, who was Rita’s firstborn from a previous relationship.
Rita Marley was a member of the backing vocalist trio “I Threes”, who supported the “Bob Marley and the Wailers” as back-up singers.
She has several successful solo albums under her belt including Who feels It Knows It, Harambe and We Must Carry On which was nominated for a Reggae Grammy in 1992, Spectacle For Tribuffalos, Sunshine After Rain, as well as the classic reggae album Beginning, with the I-Threes.
Her biggest hit is the 1982 single One Draw, which sold more than two million copies worldwide and cemented its place in Jamaican music history as the first reggae single to top the Billboard Disco Charts. It was re-released in April 2014 under Shanachie Records.
Among Rita’s other top songs are A Jah Jah, Earth Runnings, Good Moning Jah, Serious Time, One More Morning, So Much Things to Say and Who Colt The Game, a single with her younger son Stephen Marley.
Regarded as a humanitarian, Rita, was bestowed with the Order of Distinction (OD) by the Government of Jamaica in 1996 for her outstanding works and accomplishments.
In 2004, she was awarded Personality of the Year in Ghana in recognition of her work through the Rita Marley Foundation, and in November 2011 was awarded the prestigious Honorable Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award at the Caribbean American Heritage Awards in recognition of her outstanding contributions.
In August 2013, Rita was presented with an honorary Ghanaian citizenship from the government of Ghana, West Africa for her philanthropic work in the West African country.
Also, in 2015 she was conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of the West Indies (UWI), which not only honoured her for her contribution to the global development of Reggae music, but also for her philanthropic works in Ghana and Jamaica.
The UWI, in its citation, described her as a source of inspiration who, since Bob’s passing, has continued to build with the Marley family, a globally recognised musical empire.”