7 The Fight for Peace

CHAPTER 7 The Fight for Peace Bob was glad to be in England. The attack at his home made him feel certain that it was important to work for peace in Jamaica and throughout the world. Bob thought his music could inspire that peace.

By 1976, Bob was an international star and role model. That year, Bob Marley and the Wailers were named "Band of the Year" by Rolling Stone magazine. Bob was featured on the cover. People all over the world admired him. But before Bob could make a new record, Bunny and Tosh left the Wailers. They wanted to make their own albums. Bob organized a new band and made two very popular albums with Chris Blackwell: Rastaman Vibration in 1976 and Exodus in 1977. In May 1977, Bob and his new band, now called "Bob Marley and the Wailers," flew to Paris to begin their new tour. On the day before the first show, the band relaxed by playing a game of soccer. During the game, someone stepped hard on Bob's toe by accident. It was the same toe that had been infected when he was a young boy.

Bob was in pain, but he didn't let anyone know it. He and the band went on to play that night. One of the reviewers from the show in Paris wrote, "[Bob's] energy and surprisingly inventive dancing was a joyful

sight... Arms and dreadlocks flailing, he was a magical picture." While Bob traveled on tour with the band, he didn't complain. But he changed the bandages on his foot a lot. Sometimes, he found his boot was full of blood.

By the end of the European tour, Bob could no longer walk. Finally, he went to see a doctor in London. Everyone was shocked by the news he received. Bob had a very serious form of skin cancer. Some people wondered if the childhood infection Bob had on his toe had caused the cancer. The doctor told him he had to choose: "the toe or the tour." He advised Bob to have his toe cut off to stop the spread of the cancer. The US tour for Exodus was canceled. Bob had surgery to remove the cancer, but not the entire toe. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to play soccer or dance

again. After the surgery, Bob stayed with his mother at her new home in Miami, Florida. It was a warm place for him to heal. But Bob didn't always see his doctor for checkups, as he was supposed to. After a few months, Bob felt strong again. He returned to Jamaica for the first time in nearly a year and a half. He decided to help organize the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston. It would be a chance for all of Jamaica to come together. Bob still hoped that music could unite his beloved homeland. The concert was named for Bob's song "One Love," which repeats these