This week, Bob Marley’s former London home was honoured with an English Heritage blue plaque.
Back in 1977, Bob Marley lived at 42 Oakley Street in Chelsea with his band the Wailers. It was here that he finished Exodus—the album featuring big hits like Jamming, Three Little Birds and One Love—that ultimately led him to global fame. (Featured image: monosnaps)
This particular plaque follows a drive led by the English Heritage to investigate and uncover more addresses of notable ethnic minorities. As it stands, only 4% of over 900 blue plaques in London honour black and Asian individuals.
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The rules of the iconic blue plaque are pretty simple. It must connect a location to an individual who has made “exceptional impact” in their field. That person must be seriously well-known, but also they must have been dead for at least twenty years. Simple.
The plaque was unveiled on Tuesday October 1 by Rastafarian writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who once wrote Bob Marley a letter asking him what he thought of his poems, The Guardian reports. Marley replied with encouraging words that helped Zephaniah to keep writing. The big reveal suitably marked the beginning of Black History Month.
(See also: This London Street Has Had A Ridiculous Number Of Famous Residents)