Tag Archives: Marley

Bonus Interview with Author Dean MacNeil (Part 3 of 4)

The Bible and Bob Marley: Half the Story Has Never Been ToldWhat is the most controversial thing you learned about Marley in your research?

To me one of the most controversial things about Marley was the fact that you have an international music superstar touring the world not just with his guitar, but with a Bible in hand. This is attested to time and time again by music journalists such as Vivien Goldman, Stephen Davis, and Timothy White, as well as by photographers such as Kate Simon and Lynn Goldsmith. I’m not sure the world was ready for a Bible-toting rock star in the 1970s, and I’m not sure it’s ready today. Perhaps this is why this important aspect of Marley has been overlooked.

Bonus Interview with Author Dean MacNeil (Part 2 of 4)

The Bible and Bob Marley: Half the Story Has Never Been ToldDoes religion factor at all into the book?

It does at times, in order to provide context for Marley’s lyrics and the scriptural passages they draw from. One of the points that arises from the book is that Marley’s biblical interpretation stands independent of any particular creed. It defies easy categorization. Just as Marley transcends categories of black and white, city and country, and spiritual and secular, he unites different ways of looking at the Bible and in some cases offers his own distinct Marleyan perspective on a given scripture passage.