This photo is quite remarkable because Bob Marley was known to avoid cameras in the final few months of his life. He was suffering from cancer, and wanted people to remember him the way he was instead of the way he looked towards the end. However, he appears to be at ease here among friends, and is smiling despite the presumed pain of his condition. The picture was taken in Germany in early 1981, a few months before his death on May 11th of that year. He was 36 years old.
Marley did more than anybody else in the history of music to make reggae popular with an American and European audience. It was the music of his native Jamaica, but Marley's talent made it relatable to a wider audience. His message was simple too - simply to live in peace and love your neighbor. He could also veer into the political, as he demonstrated with 'Buffalo Soldier' and 'Redemption Song.'