Marley Biopic Hits Snag Over Music Rights

The anticipated Bob Marley biopic based on the book by his wife Rita has hit a snag over music rights.



The reggae great's family issued a statement dated Monday saying that they have had numerous requests over the years to license his music for various projects and "all of them have been declined, including the proposed Weinstein production of Rita Marley's book 'No Woman, No Cry.'"

"When I sold the film rights to my book the contract did not include any rights to use my husband's music," Rita Marley stated. "Though I am the head of the Marley family each decision is made democratically amongst all of us. I requested an exception be made for my book to be turned into a movie but that request was declined."

The family has already licensed the music to a theatrical documentary directed by Martin Scorsese and co-produced by Shangri-La Entertainment and the family's Tuff Gong Pictures.

"All our efforts and support are currently directed towards the documentary," said Marley's son Ziggy. "We believe that this project is the best way to represent our father's life from his perspective and any other film project pertaining to our father will be empty without his music to support it."

The family is reportedly concerned that the documentary and the biopic will be released too close together.

"Martin Scorsese doesn't want to go out with a competing project," Marley's music publisher Chris Blackwell told the Hollywood Reporter.

The biopic was expected to be released in 2009, and the documentary the following February to coincide with what would have been Marley's 65th birthday.

Blackwell said that he would like to see the biopic delayed until 2015 to avoid a conflict between the two films.

Weinstein company spokesman Matthew Frankel told The ShowBuzz that negotiations are ongoing.

"We have great respect for the Marley family and Chris Blackwell and are in discussions to look at ways to mutually benefit both projects," he said.

The first international reggae superstar, Bob Marley rose to fame in the 1970s as part of The Wailers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. After the group broke up, he embarked on a solo career with his own band as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

His numerous hits include "I Shot The Sheriff," "Three Little Birds," "One Love" and "No Woman No Cry." One of the most influential and charismatic performers of the 20th century, Marley's brand of socially-conscious music continues to be heard today. He died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.

Bob Marley’s family involved in licensing snub

Bob Marley’s family are snubbing music licensing requests for a biopic on the legend because they are planning to release a competing documentary.


The adaptation of Marley's widow Rita's book 'No Woman, No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley’ is currently in production by The Weinstein Company, but now the reggae hero’s family are refusing to license any material.

The family have sided with director Martin Scorsese, making a documentary together with the Marley-owned Tuff Gong Pictures, says the Hollywood Reporter.

The family members involved in the Scorsese project claim they were unaware the Weinstein biopic would be unveiled so soon and believe that its projected late-2009 release date would interfere with the documentary's February 2010 release - timed to coincide with Marley's birthday.

Executive producer, Ziggy Marley, says, "The Weinstein project has put our documentary into jeopardy. All our efforts and support are currently directed toward the documentary. We believe that this project is the best way to represent our father's life from his perspective, and any other film project pertaining to our father will be empty without his music to support it."

The Marley family's lawyer Terri Dipalo denied that this was the latest move is a negotiating tactic to compel the Weinsteins to buy Marley music rights.

Bob Marley Biography And Top 10 Songs

Bob Marley has been one of my favourite artists for a long time. I probably own more Bob Marley CD's than any other band or artist with the exception of Wu-Tang. My friends mum D, is partly responsible for my listening to Bob over the years because when I was little I used to like the song Jammin' and used to play the 45 single I had of it all the time and I had got the single off her. I would say I have a Bob CD in my stereo 90% of the time (it can have 3 in at a time). Bob not only made good music but also the messages that the lyrics were about were of peace and freedom.

Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley was born in Jamaica on February 6th 1945 and is the most successful of any Reggae artist ever. The album Legend has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. When Bob was a child he lived in the slums of Kingston's Trenchtown and had a reputation for "self-defense" which earned him the title "Tuff Gong" which he and the Wailers used to create their own record label in 1970.

Bob and some of his friends (Bunny Livingston, Junior Braithwaite, Peter McIntosh, Beverley Kelso and Cherry Smith formed the Wailers in 1963 but by 1966 there was only Bob, Bunny and Peter left. The Wailers released their first album (Catch A Fire) in 1973 to massive success after their signing to JAD Records in London, England. Concrete Jungle being the most successful song from the album. Soon to follow was the release of Burnin' which had some of the Wailers most popular songs I Shot The Sheriff, Get Up, Stand Up and Small Axe. Eric Clapton also had huge success with a cover of I Shot the Sheriff which helped to elevate Bob into the public eye.

In 1974 the Wailers broke up, each to pursue their own solo careers but Bob still continued to record as "Bob Marley & The Wailers" with his new backing band which consisted of Carlton and Aston Barrett, Junior Marvin, Tyrone Downie, Al Anderson and Earl Lindo. Backing vocalists were Rita Marley (Bob's wife), Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt.

The new line-up had their first international hit with No Woman, No Cry which was on the Natty Dread album released in 1975 alongside other hits, Lively Up Yourself and Rebel Music. The album Rastaman Vibration was released in 1976 in the US and was at the top of the Billboard charts for 4 weeks.

Two days before Bob Marley was going to embark on his Smile Jamaica tour Bob, Rita and their manager were injured during a shootout inside Bob's home. The attack was reported as being politically motivated as many people felt the tour was a support rally. Even though all concerned received serious injuries they all made full recoveries and the tour went on as planned with an injured Bob performing on stage.

By the end of 1976 Bob Marley left Jamaica and moved to London, England where he recorded two albums (Exodus, which had the hits: Exodus, Three Little Birds, Jammin', One Love and waiting In Vain, and Kaya which boasted: Easy Skanking, Kaya, Is This Love, Satisfy My Soul and Sun Is Shining among its singles). While in London Bob was arrested for possession of cannabis.

In 1978 Bob returned to home for the One Love Peace Concert to help with the peace effort and to help calm the warring parties in Jamaica. At Bob's request both political leaders (Manley and Seaga) joined him on stage and shook hands. Babylon By Bus was released also in 1978 which was a live double album, the song Jammin captures the crowds wild and frenzied intensity to Bob's performance.

Survival which was released in 1979 was a political statement about the suffering of the African population. The album contained some controversial songs such as Africa Unite, Wake Up And Live and Zimbabwe. Bob was also invited to perform at Zimbabwe's Independence Day on April 17th.

Uprising which was released in 1980 was to be Bob's final studio album and is one of his most religious albums. The album contained Could You Be Loved, Forever Loving Jah and Redemption Song (his famous lyrics being: Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds...).

Bob died on May 11th 1981 from cancer which had started in his toe (due to a soccer accident) in 1977. Bob refused to have his foot amputated because of his Rastafarian beliefs which say that the body must remain whole. Over time the cancer had metastasized into Bob's stomach, liver, lungs and brain.

Confrontation was released after Bob's death and contained the unreleased song Buffalo Soldier and songs previously only available in Jamaica (Jump Nyabinghi and Rastaman Live Up).

My Top 10 Bob Marley Songs are:

01. Lively Up Yourself
02. Small Axe
03. Trench Town Rock
04. Duppy Conqueror
05. Could You Be Loved
06. Jammin'
07. One Love
08. Redemption Song
09. Waiting In Vain
10. Buffalo Soldier