Exclusive: The photographer behind some of the most famous portraits of the late reggae icon remembers him on what would have been his 80th birthday. Renowned photographer Kate Simon has reflected on some of her memories working with Bob Marley, on what would have marked his 80th birthday. Simon enjoyed a close friendship with the reggae icon, and shot the famous picture used as the artwork for his 1978 album with The Wailers, Kaya.

Speaking to The Independent, Simon recalled spending weeks at a time on the road with the “Buffalo Soldier” star, who died from cancer in 1981, aged 36. “I remember everything about working with Bob,” she said. “But I would say my strongest memories are being with him riding his bike and when he was playing soccer, or visiting him at his house on Oakley street in London.”. Marley was “the best performer” she had ever seen, she said: “He was just unbelievable. So my memories are split between those normal moments and then him as the big rock star.”.

Her favourite memory, though, was visiting Marley at his home at 56 Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica, shortly after he performed his One Love Peace concert and joined hands with political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, at a time of great unrest. “I went to see him the day after,” Simon said, “and being with him and taking his photograph then, I saw how rewarded he felt – he felt so good that he had managed to make that happen.

“That's my best memory of Bob because he had this Coptic cross around his neck, and he picked it up so it was focused on the camera. He really felt that there was a Jah-inspired victory for him – he had brought these two warring parties together. “It was really incredible. I was at that concert, and so the day after, to see him feel like he had really achieved that was a great memory.”. Simon, who has also photographed other iconic artists including Madonna, Andy Warhol, The Clash and Patti Smith, was introduced to Marley by her friend, Aninha Capaldi, backstage at his now-famous string of shows at the Lyceum Theatre in London, in 1975.

They struck up an instant rapport: “We just clicked,” she said. “It's impossible to articulate, but it was that feeling of already knowing someone. I’d just seen him play for the first time, and it really made me want to shoot him more, which I continued to do for the next few years.”. Marley was born in the rural Jamaican parish of Saint Ann in 1945 before moving with his mother to the impoverished neighbourhood Trenchtown, after the death of his father.

He became a Rastafarian and began recording music in the early Sixties, achieving international success with “No Woman, No Cry” just over a decade after Bob Marley and The Wailers were formed. On 3 December 1976, Marley, his wife and bandmates survived an assassination attempt that saw several men with guns raid his home on Hope Road. Marley then moved the family to London where he spent two years in self-imposed exile and recorded Exodus, a critical and commercial success that propelled him to international fame.

He died from cancer on 11 May 1981, and his posthumously released 1984 album, Legend, became one of the biggest-selling of all time and spent 12 weeks at the top of the UK chart. Simon said fans might be surprised to know how disciplined he was: “After he woke up, he’d be playing all day long – soccer or riding his bicycle – before going to soundcheck and doing a huge arena show. He was committed to exercise – he played football in his hotel room.”.

“There was nothing laissez-faire about his habits,” she continued. “He ate healthy food, he had his own cook, Gilly, on the road with him [and] they only stayed in hotels that had their own kitchen.”. She took the now-famous cover shot for Kaya while staying at the Sheraton-Kingston hotel, hanging out by the pool with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. “[Chris] said, ‘You want to race me in the breaststroke?’”.

Simon had been a competitive swimmer, so she accepted the challenge. Blackwell gave her a head start, but he managed to overtake her and win the race. “I got out of the pool, and Bob was sitting right there, right by the pool, unbeknownst to me – and I saw him and went over. He was happy to see me, and I just picked up my camera – still in my bathing suit – and shot about two-and-a-half rolls of film.”.

It remains one of her favourite photographs, she said, along with a shot of Marley at his Oakley Street address in London. “It was right before he started his shows at The Rainbow in 1977, and he’s wearing this sweatshirt and looks very chill,” she recalled. “I think it’s a beautiful shot because it really reflects our friendship – it’s very casual, but still has some intimacy to it.”.