May 11, 1981: Bob Marley Dies

May 11, 1981: Bob Marley discovers that God not only likes his music, but has no problem with marijuana.

Robert Nesta Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. By 1964, he was a recorded singer on his home island. With his band The Wailers, he became a pioneer of reggae music, and helped to popularize the black-oriented religion to which he had converted, Rastafari. He was also more identified with a particular drug than any music star ever, in his case marijuana, which is a sacrament in Rastafari.

In 1973, his album Catch a Fire did just that, making him world-famous. His song "I Shot the Sheriff" was popularized by a version by Eric Clapton that hit Number 1 around the world. He survived an assassination attempt in 1976, and kept on recording.

But cancer is a more insidious enemy than any human would-be killer, and he was diagnosed with it in 1977. He fought it hard, and maybe have been the world's 1st known practitioner of "medical marijuana." But it progressed to the point where there was nothing he could do, and he died in Miami at the age of 36. His musical legend has only grown since.

Several family members also went into music, including one of his sons, who formed Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers. Another son, Rohan Marley, played football at the University of Miami. Unfortunately, he had to go against the family religion and cut his dreadlocks, because they wouldn't fit under his helmet. And since he was only 5-foot-9, his teammates teased him by singing one of his father's songs: "Get Up, Stand Up!" He later played in the Canadian Football League, for the Ottawa Rough Riders, and has built an organic-food empire. He and singer Lauryn Hill of The Fugees had 5 children together.

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May 11, 1981 was a Monday. Football was out of season. The Stanley Cup Playoffs were between the Semifinals and the Finals, as the New York Islanders went on to beat the Minnesota North Stars for the Cup. The NBA Finals were in progress, and the Boston Celtics went on to beat the Houston Rockets.

Monday is often a travel day in Major League Baseball, and so only 5 games were played:

* The Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Bruce Benedict singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-6 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-5.

* The Houston Astros beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-0 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Nolan Ryan pitched a 7-hit shutout.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-1 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Bert Blyleven was the winning pitcher.

* And the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals, 9-1 at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium) in Kansas City. George Brett went 0-for-4.