How old was Bob Marley when he died?

Bob Marley was 36 years old when he died on 11 May 1981.

Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley on 6 February 1945 in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. His career began in the early 1960s with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who formed the group that became the Wailers. Marley later became reggae’s most internationally recognised performer.

His death followed acral lentiginous melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer that was diagnosed in 1977 beneath a toenail. He continued recording and touring for several years, despite the diagnosis. In 1980, the cancer had spread, and he sought treatment in Germany before travelling toward Jamaica.

A common mix-up is to round his age to 35 or 37 based only on the year difference. Because his May 1981 death came after his February birthday, the precise age was 36. He died in Miami and received a state funeral in Jamaica later that month.