Bob Marley & Bono, 1994

U2 frontman Bono puts his Irish gift of gab to good use when inducting the late Bob Marley, praising the reggae pioneer and global superstar with an almost lyrical cadence. Rita Marley, Bob’s widow & musical collaborator, accepts the honor on his behalf with a moving speech comprised of his iconic song lyrics, underscoring the power of his music.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
M Welcome to Induction Vault, a production of I Heart
Radio and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Ladies,
John restake your sheets, You're about to be give you two.

(00:30):
Frontman Bano puts his Irish gift of gab to good
use when inducting reggae pioneer and global superstar the late
Bob Marley into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The praise Bono gives as equal parts celebratory speech and
rhythmic poem with an almost lyrical cadence appropriate to pay
tribute to showman Shaman human Jamaican Marley. Then Rita Marley,

(00:55):
Bob's widow and musical collaborator, accepts the honor on his
behalf with the moving speech comprised of Marley's iconic song lyrics,
underscoring the power, spirituality, and timelessness of his music, as
well as his advocacy for the rights of black people worldwide. Right. Well,

(01:19):
I know claiming Bob Marley as Irish might be a
little difficult here tonight, but bear with me. Jamaica and
Ireland have a lot in common. Naomi Campbell, Chris Blackwell,

(01:40):
Guinness a fondness for Little Green leaves the weed. Religion,
the philosophy of procrastination. Don't put off till tomorrow what
you can put off till the day after, unless, of course,

(02:03):
it's freedom. We were both islands, We are both islands,
we wear both colonies. We share a common yoke, the
struggle for identity, the struggle for independence, the vulnerable and
uncertain future that's left behind when the jack boot of

(02:24):
empire has finally retreated roots. They're getting up there, standing up,
and the hard bit, the staying up in such a
struggle and often violent struggle. The voice of Bob Marley
was a voice of reason. So when I heard Bob
Marley first, I not only felt it, I felt I

(02:47):
understood it. So it was seventy six in Dublin and
we were listening to punk rock, Who was the class
You brought him home to us? And ec cover version
when I shot the sheriff that man, M Yeah, these

(03:10):
were love songs. You could admit listening to. Songs of hurt,
hard but healing, tough gong politics without rhetoric, songs of
freedom where that word meant something again. Knew hymns to
a dancing God, redemption, songs as sexy revolution, where Jah
is Jehovah on street level, not over his people, but

(03:33):
with his people, not just styling Jaman, the lion of Judah,
down the line of Judah. From Ethiopia where it all
began for the Rusta men, where everything began. Well, maybe
I spent some time in Ethiopia with with my wife Ali,

(03:54):
and everywhere we went we saw Bob Marley's face, Royal
Wise Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. On every street
corner there he was dressed to hustle. God, let my
people go, an ancient plea prayers catching fire in Mozambique, Nigeria,
the Lebanon, Alabama, Detroit, New York City, notting Hill, Belfast,

(04:21):
dr king in Dreads a third and the first World Superstar.
Mental slavery ends where imagination begins. Here was this new
music rocking out of the shanty towns, born from Calypso

(04:42):
and raised on the chilled out R and B beamed
in from New Orleans, lolling, loping rhythms telling it like
it was, like it is, like it ever shall be, skanking, ska,
blue beat, rock, steady, reggae, dub and now raga and
all of this from a man who drove three BMW's

(05:05):
b m W Bob Marley and the Whalers. That was
his excuse. Rock and roll loads its juven elia, it's caricatures,
it's cartoons. The protest singer, the gospel singer, the pop star,

(05:27):
the sex god. You're more mature Messiah types. Um. We
love the extremes and were expected to choose the mud
of the blues or the oxygen of gospel, the hell
hand on our trail, or the band of Angels. Well,
Bob Marley didn't choose or walk down the middle. He

(05:48):
raised to the edges, embracing all extremes, creating a oneness,
his oneness, one love. He wanted everything at the same
time and was everything at the same time. Profit, soul, rebel, rastaman, herbsman,
wild man and natural, mystic man, ladies man, island man,

(06:11):
family man, Rita's Man, soccer man, showman, shaman, human jah
makann So the spirit of Bob, the spirit of jol

(06:35):
lives on in his son's digging and his lover, Rita Marley.
I'm proud to give them the war, and I'm proud
to welcome Bob Marley into the Hall of Fame. Amen.
After the break, we'll hear Bob Marley's widow Rita except

(06:57):
on his behalf on the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame induction Bolt Wow. Thank you Vermut's brought us and
sisters Rastafar I live. You know, as Bob would say,
there's a natural mystic that's flowing through the air, and

(07:18):
if you listen carefully, you will air that it's coming
through the air of the fantastic Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame brought us and sisters. We want to thank you.
We have here tonight, members of the Whalers, members of
the I Threes, Bob Molly's mother, Mrs b We have

(07:51):
hair Ziggy Marley, this Ke Marley Marley, and this is
Julian Marley. Brothers and sisters. I was sent with a

(08:11):
very special message to you tonight, and I need to
put my glasses on. I don't want to make no
mistake because this one is coming from Zion. It says
there's a natural mystic blowing through the air, and if
you listen carefully, you will hear when the morning gathers

(08:31):
the rainbow. I want you to know that you are
a rainbow too. We're a rebel, We're a soul rebel.
We're a capturer. We are a sole adventurer, and he
is a buffalo soldier in the heart of America. I
and I come to break down pressing. We want to
ru equality. We want to wipe away all transgression and

(08:54):
set the captivest free. The bars could not hold me,
the forces could control me. They try to keep me down.
But Jah, put eye around. Now, open your eyes and
look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living.
Don't forget your history, know your destiny. Because in the

(09:17):
abundance of water, the fool is thirsty. But like a
tree that's planted by the rivers of water that bring
it forward fruit in its due season. Everything in life
has its purpose, It finds its reason in every season.
No woman, no cry, because everything is going to be
all right. Now, say something, say something that because we're

(09:44):
gonna emancipate ourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free.
Oh mine? Yeah, So won't you help me? Sing these
songs of freedom, redemption songs, Brothers and sisters on behalf
of the family and friends. We thank que, God bless you,
and we love you. Thanks for joining us. On this

(10:27):
week's episode of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault.
For more on your favorite inductees, to shop inductee merch
or to plan your trip to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, visit rock hall dot com. Plus Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special on demand on
HBO Max. Our executive producers are Noel Brown, Shelby Morrison,

(10:47):
and Esa Gurkey. Supervising producer is Taylor shakogn Research and
archival assistants from Isabelle Keeper and Shannon Herb. Thanks again
for joining us on this week's episode of Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault. Induction Ball is a
production of I Heart Radio in the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,

(11:12):
visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your favorite podcasts.