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birthday celebration in Bad Wiessee. All of the members of the band
attended, with the notable exception of the Barrett brothers. Bob s well-
wishers had expected to find their former leader near death. Instead, they
were greeted by Bob in high spirits, at least passable health, and with
some returning hair. A by-product of this gathering was that Bob again
became part of the Tuff Gong International machine. Through corre-
spondence with his lawyer, Diane Jobson, Bob began again overseeing
the work of his business. This flurry of activity seemed to add to Bob s
strength, to the point that he began to engage in light exercise again.
Even with this improvement, Jobson noted that Bob weighed only about
100 pounds at his birthday party.
While Bob s early February health was encouraging, by the end of
March his mother again noticed his condition worsening. His strength
was quickly lost and his ability to walk unassisted went with it Cedella
72 BOB MARLEY
was no longer able to raise her son from long hours of lying in bed. Another
discouraging sign came with Bob s refusal to eat or drink. With this, Ce-
della knew that Bob was not long for this world. Helpless to positively
affect her son s health, she instead worked on raising his spirits. To this
end, Cedella spent time singing to Bob, reminding him of their good times
together in the Jamaican hills and Kingston.
Astonishingly, Dr. Issels choose this pivotal time to take a vacation.
Cedella was amazed at the doctor s cavalier attitude to her ailing son s
health. Issels left Cedella and Bob in the hands of his assistants in early
April. At this point, Bob was a mere shell of his former self. His weight
was estimated at just over 70 pounds and he could not care for himself in
any meaningful manner. Bob s lawyer Jobson protested the doctor s deci-
sion to leave at this time, but to no avail.
Making a bad situation worse was Bob s financial situation. It was com-
mon knowledge that he did not have a will and everyone increasingly
believed that he could not live much longer. Further compounding these
problems, members of the Wailers were making overseas calls pleading for
their shares of the band s earnings. Without a will, all of Bob s earnings,
future royalties, and song licenses would pass to Rita on his death.
BOB S RETURN TO MIAMI
Late in April, Dr. Issels returned to Sunshine House and decided to
perform surgery on Bob to relieve the pain that the tumor in his stomach
was causing. Bob s Rastafarian convictions were again aroused (in opposi-
tion to the invasiveness of surgery). However, Bob s condition was so poor
that there was little choice. In early May, Bob s doctor admitted to Ce-
della and Jobson that the most famous Wailer would likely die within the
next two weeks. Issels had lost hope in his own treatments to assist Bob
any further. In response to this news, it was decided that Bob should be
brought back to the home that he had purchased for his mother in Miami.
Plans were made quickly to ensure that Bob was strong enough to make
the trip. A plane was chartered and the small group made the trip back to
the United States. Unable to care for Bob themselves, Cedella and Jobson
checked him back into the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. The staff was
not instructed to treat Bob s now numerous afflictions; instead they were
simply meant to keep him comfortable in his final days.
Bob survived the transatlantic trip, but continued to weaken. On May 11,
1981, his vital signs became erratic and Rita was summoned. She was told
that Bob would likely only live for a few more hours and she should be
with him. Rita sat with Bob and sang hymns that she knew he would
HOME TO MOUNT ZION 73
enjoy. Soon, Bob s breathing became labored and Rita called for Cedella
to come and be with her son. By the time she arrived, Bob s condition
had stabilized. Cedella and Rita prayed over Bob and he said that he was
feeling a little better. During this short rally, Bob said goodbye to his sons
Ziggy and Stephen. He also said that he was thirsty. Cedella gave Bob a
glass of water, which he drank completely.
Shortly before noon, the nurses had Cedella help them roll Bob onto his
side for an X-ray. Afterward, Bob slept for a short time. When he awoke he
asked his mother to come close to him. As she did, he lost consciousness
briefly and he quietly slipped away. At approximately 11:45 on Wednesday,
March 11, 1981, the incendiary voice of the international reggae superstar
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