Interviews Section - marco's Interviews

Reggae Rebels

marco — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:06:31

REGGAE REBELS
"new" footage of Bob Marley

September, 1979: Vintage 60 minutes interview with Bob Marley and the Rastafarians in Jamaica. To get this story George Negus took a harrowing journey through Trenchtown - Kingston's most notorious slum. He and his crew needed a group of voluntary bodyguards to get them out safely.

this is the link (many thanks to our member Fabio for finding the interview)

... [Read More]

memories of bob: danny holloway

marco — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:40:29

Memories of Bob: Danny Holloway
(article by marco virgona)

Danny Holloway lived 5 years in England (and a year in Jamaica). On the staff of the NME in London, then joined Island Records (UK) producing two Bob Marley 'live' lp's and was with Island for decades.

"Hi marco
I worked for Island in London from 1973 to 1976. in Los Angeles, I worked at Island until 1996. Yes, i knew Bob. I recorded 'live' shows when Peter and Bunny were in the band w... [Read More]

Interview with Ian "Natty Wailer" Wynter

marco — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:18:23

Greetings Marco and thanks for getting in touch!
Bob did prophecy in one of his songs titled "Bad card", he said "Them a go tired fe se mi face but them cannot get me out of the race" and
everywhere you turn on the Globe, there is a Bob Marley's face if it's even on a T-shirt and his music is still one of the most played. He
was a prophet as much as he is a legend. He was topped into a source of higher consciousness of the world around him and this he shared with all who would come in contact wi... [Read More]

The story of the song Hooligan

marco — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:21:04

Did you know that the song Hooligan from Bob Marley and the Wailers was written by Shirley Maynier Burke (mother of politician Paul Burke)?
I read in jamaicaobserver that just yesterday Shirley won the copyright case against Marley estate and Studio One.
Burke was credited with the original recording but subsequently other claims intervened
Memorable lines in the song include:
Don't bray like a donkey if you really man
Hooligans, hooligans make up your minds
hooligans, hooligans this is... [Read More]

interview with Roberto Rocca Ray

marco — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:20:07

ONE DAY AT HOPE ROAD
Journalist Roberto Rocca Rey recalls his brief meeting with Bob (1979)

During the 70?s not many italian journalists paid a visit to the King of Reggae at his home at Hope Road. Among them Roberto Rocca Rey, who recalls his encounter for our magazine.

"Sono arrivato all'indirizzo di Marley - 56, Hope Road- verso le 3 del pomeriggio in un sobborgo di Kingston, che allora era una citt? relativamente insicura, con un altissimo numero di omicidi l'a... [Read More]

Ermine Bramwell "Cherry Green" died

marco — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:24:10

Cherry Green - as she is better known- died of an heart attack in Miami Florida.

She was born Ermine Ortense Bramwell in Jamaica in August 1943. She died Sept. 24 as Ermine Dempsey-Barker in Palm Beach Gardens. But really, she was known as Cherry. Cherry Green. Sometimes Cherry Smith.

Cherry was one of the original members of Bob Marley and the Wailers.

"She was one of the backup singers who helped them create their signature sound," said Christopher John Farley, auth

... [Read More]

Interview with Phil Chen

marco — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:48:30

PHIL Chen is the only jamaican chinese to venture into the rock and roll arena playing with great artist like Rod Stewart, Pete Towndshend and Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Keith Richards etc as well as with Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Skatalites etc .He is currently on a world tour as the bassist for THE DOORS THE AMERICON ICON ROCK GROUP. Phil is a Master Class Instructor at the LA Music Academy.

Phil Chen: "Dear

... [Read More]

Interview with Geoffrey Dunn

marco — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:35:52

Geoffrey Dunn, writer, producer, reggae and calypso lover: ?I was at the Bob Marley concert in Santa Cruz in July of 1978. I was visiting with a friend of mine at the Civic Audiorium who was involved with the promotion of the show when the bands were loading and Family Man Barrett approached me. I had blondish sun-bleached dreadlocks and they were rare on euro-americans at that time. I told him I was a native of Santa Cruz from an old fishing family and that while I was a journalist at the time

... [Read More]

Wailers concerts from the sixties

marco — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:32:20

These are 3 original concert advertisements from the sixties:
The Wailers performed at Regal Theatre on april 8, 1965
at Glass Bucket Club on october 9, 1965
and at Carib Theatre on december 13, 1966
So this is my updated list of the concerts in 1965 and in 1966
1965
8 april at Regal Theatre, for Miss Tokio and Miss Hong Kong
10, 11 and 12 april at Oriental Play Girls Kingston
june: at Regal Theatre for the "Battle of the Greats: ska vs Jazz"
9 september: op... [Read More]

The Lost Concerts

marco — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 09:49:10

BOB MARLEY: THE LOST CONCERTS AND THE BANDWAGON CONCERTS
revised version july 1st 2008

In 1971 Bob, Peter and Bunny take part in the electionion campaign supporting the People National Party, with the famous Victory Band Wagon. The Wailers are backing by the Inner Circle Band. This is the story of that political involvement.

Prime Minister Hugh Lawson Shearer called general elec... [Read More]

The Story of the Concert at Max's Kansas City

marco — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:14:14

THE STORY OF THE CONCERT AT MAX'S KANSAS CITY

INTERVIEW WITH ALBEE TELLONE

(by Marco Virgona)

Marco Virgona: Many of our readers already know your name. Can you briefly introduce yourself?

Albee Tellone: My name is Albee Tellone. I'm 57 years old. I'm a musician who plays mandolin and guitar and I work in Arkansas at a park called the Ozark Folk Center State Park, where I teach and play music. I have also been a contributor to B... [Read More]

memoirs of a rodie

marco — Thu, 5 Jun 2008 14:38:16

MEMOIRS OF A RODIE
(an article by Roger Grace)
THE STORY OF THE LYCEUM CONCERT
I first heard of BMW in 1975, when we got a call from Island records to go to America and sort out the BMW tour, which we were told were having technical difficulties as they had no one on the tour that had much experience with the tech side.
I remember listening to the early BMW albums to familiarise myself with the music, as I often did before a tour, and at that time I had n... [Read More]

Interview with George Lee

marco — Wed, 4 Jun 2008 10:08:45

INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE LEE LARNYOH
(june 2008 by Marco Virgona)
REMEMBERING MY BROTHER BOB MARLEY FOR
WWW.BOBMARLEYMAGAZINE.COM
Ciao Marco
I am sure you didn’t know I spent a few years in and around Italy (Bologna) with my band the Exotics in the late sixties, just a few years before I was in London at the Island Records studios with Bob Marley and Johnny Nash in the ... [Read More]

Did you know? issue # 8

marco — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:53:40

DID YOU KNOW? SECTION!

ISSUE EIGHT

1961: Trenchtown
Ras Irice: ?As a young man I had the privilege of attending the university of adversity in a Back-o-wall Kingston where I met Bob Marley in 1961, neither of us knowing where he was going because he was so humble. We would see each other at a courtyard in Back-o-wall known as Egypt where Rastas from all over the Island would meet and reason.? This is where the young Bob would receive ... [Read More]

memories of Bob: Simon Kirke

marco — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:05:09

MEMORIES OF BOB MARLEY
an article by Marco Virgona

Simon Kirke (born 28 July 1949), was one of the co-founder of the Free band, one of the most successful groups
of the early-'70s blues invasion. With vocalist Paul Rodgers' mournful, gritty croon and the unique styles of guitarist
Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke, Free had the hits "The ... [Read More]