On this day, the 5th of December, we pay tribute to the anniversary of the 1976 Smile Jamaica concert, and its impact on Gong’s life and legacy. ✊🏾🎸 #todayinbobslife #bobmarley THE STORY 📖 In 1976, Bob decided he wanted to put on a free concert for the people of Jamaica. It was organized with help from the Prime Minister’s office, and in the high-tension political environment of Kingston, the show became a focal point of political unrest after the government announced elections would be held 10 days after the concert. This reframed the context of the show, in the eyes of some, as a rally event for the ruling party. To stop the show from happening, on Dec 3rd – two days before the concert – gunmen shot up Bob’s home at 56 Hope Road during a rehearsal break. Bob was shot in the arm, @officialritamarley was shot in the back of the head, and manager Don Taylor was P multiple times in the chest. By the grace of JAH, all survived the shooting. And so the question quickly became, would the band perform at the event as planned? After deliberations up at Strawberry Hill, Bob came to the conclusion that to not perform would be to let the forces trying to stop the concert from happening, win. And so he and some of the band – including Rita Marley, who showed up still in her hospital gown – teamed up with members of @thirdworldband and performed at the show in an inspiring act of defiance and resilience of purpose. Equally hurt and upset, Bob left Jamaica from London after the show, where he wrote some of his most poignant work, including Exodus classics “Exodus”, “Guiltiness”, “So Much Things To Say”, “Jamming”, Kaya’s “Running Away”, and Survival’s “Ambush In The Night”, which was directly inspired by the events of Dec 3rd. In 1978, following a truce called by the top political enforcers, Bob agreed to return to Jamaica for the One Love Peace Concert, which united the island in music and harmony. For his efforts during this event, Bob was awarded the @unitednations Peace Medal. 🎥🎞️ learn more inspiring stories about Bob in the official MARLEY (2012) documentary, available now on select streaming services. #repost @bobmarley