Author:Salewicz, Chris. What was it about Bob Marley that made him so popular in a world dominated by rocknroll?. On May 11, 1981, a little after 11.30 in the morning, Bob Marley died. Never-before-heard interviews with dozens of people who knew Marley are woven through a narrative that brings to life not only the Rastafari religion and the musical scene in Jamaica, but also the spirit of the man himself.