Who Is Bob Marley's Wife? All About Rita Marley

Bob Marley and Rita Marley married in 1966

Bob Marley's wife, Rita Marley, has worked hard to honor his legacy.

The pair met in Jamaica in the mid-1960s when they were both aspiring young musicians. They married in 1966, welcomed three children and toured the world together, with Rita serving as one of Bob's backup singers.

Following Bob's death in 1981 at age 36, Rita took over his empire, overseeing the management of his label Tuff Gong Studios and his estate. She received frequent criticism in the early days of her leadership and faced many legal challenges surrounding her control of Bob's estate.

"[Rita] had to grow a very broad back to take on responsibilities she wasn’t prepared for. And that made a lot of people pissed when he passed, because they thought they were going to be the second in command," the couple's daughter Cedella said of her mother in a 2021 profile of Rita for Rolling Stone.

Despite the roadblocks, Rita preserved and, under her management, the Marley empire has expanded to include a variety of different business endeavors.

“I never see myself as Bob Marley’s widow,” Rita once said in 2000, per Rolling Stone. “I still feel I’m working with him. I feel I’m still his partner.”

Now 76, Rita has retired and passed the reins over to Cedella. She currently lives in Miami near her family, surrounded by grandchildren who call her Nana Rita.

Her latest project has involved joining Cedella and son Ziggy as producers on the new biopic about Marley's life and career, Bob Marley: One Love, which is out on Feb. 14. In the movie, Kingsley Ben-Adir has taken on the role of Bob, while Lashana Lynch plays Rita.

So, who is Bob Marley's wife? Here is everything to know about Rita Marley.

She was born in Cuba

Alfarita "Rita" Constantia Anderson was born in Santiago, Cuba, but soon moved to Kingston, Jamaica.

Her parents separated when she was very young and she was predominately raised by her aunt.

She met her husband in the recording studio

Growing up, Rita often sang in church and as a teenager, she joined a vocal group called The Soulettes. While performing with The Soulettes, Rita was often coached by Bob Marley, who was a member of another group called the Wailing Wailers.

The two were immediately drawn to each other. "He was sending his letters through his friends, not by himself, through his friends, to say that he liked me and wanted to come over and talk," Rita told Rolling Stone.

She's a music legend in her own right

Rita has had immense success as a reggae artist, both with her group the I-Threes and as a solo artist. The I-Threes was comprised of herself, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths and was formed in the early '70s. The trio provided backup vocals for Bob and his band onstage and during tours and was regarded as one of the most influential female groups in the history of Jamaican music.

On her own, she has produced several solo albums, including Who Feels It Knows It, Harambe, Spectacle For Tribuffalos and the Grammy-nominated We Must Carry On. Her most recent solo album, Sunshine After Rain, features tracks produced by her son Stephen Marley.

She has six children

Rita has a total of six children, three of whom she shared with Bob. Her eldest daughter, Sharon Marley, whom she had from a previous relationship, was born in 1964 and adopted by Bob after their marriage. Rita and Bob then welcomed daughter Cedella, son David (also known as Ziggy) and son Stephen, born in 1967, 1978 and 1972, respectively. Rita had Stephanie Marley in 1974 and she was adopted by Bob. Serita Stewart was born in 1985, after Bob's death.

Sharon, Cedella, Ziggy and Stephen followed in their parent's footsteps and formed the Reggae group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers in 1979.

Rita also has several grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

She's a philanthropist

In 2014, Rita founded The Rita Marley Foundation, which aims to "alleviate poverty and champion female empowerment in Jamaica and Ghana."

According to the organization's website, the foundation is based on the experiences Rita had in her own life. "From the challenges of being a young, unwed mother to having the 'door slammed in her face' as a pioneering young black woman in business, Rita Marley has certainly faced her share of adversity," the foundation's website reads. "This did not stop her from forging her own path as an internationally acclaimed entertainer and businesswoman — all while raising an incredible family."

The organization provides education, healthcare, elderly care and entrepreneurial empowerment for women and children in Ghana and Jamaica.

She is preserving her husband's legacy

Shortly after Bob died of a rare form of skin cancer in 1981, Rita began work to preserve her husband's legacy for the world. In 1986, Rita transformed his home in Kingston, Jamaica, into the Bob Marley Museum and the home of Tuff Gong Studios.

Rita is also the founder and chairperson of the Bob Marley Foundation, which aims to "preserve the spiritual, cultural, social and musical ideals that guided and inspired Bob Marley throughout his life."

According to Rolling Stone, she has also expanded the Marley family empire to include several merch lines, record stores and even a line of "functional mushrooms."

Ziggy calls Rita the "backbone" of their family

While talking to PEOPLE in February 2024, Ziggy described his mom as "the backbone of everything."

"Without her, none of this would’ve been happening. My father's career wouldn’t be what it is,” he said. “They really complement each other in that way. You need someone like that by your side. You can’t do it alone. You could never do it alone.”

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