Is Bob Marley the only third world superstar? How did he achieve this status? In this study of one of the most influential men of the 20th century, Jason Toynbee sheds new light on issues such as Marley's contribution as a musician.

Is Bob Marley the only third world superstar? How did he achieve this unique status? In this captivating new study of one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century, Jason Toynbee sheds new light on issues such as Marley's contribution as a musician and public intellectual, how he was granted access to the global media system, and what his music means in cultural and political terms.

Tracing Marley's life and work from Jamaica to the world stage, Toynbee suggests that we need to understand Marley first and foremost as a 'social author'. Trained in the co-operative...

Partly because they are objects of such intense adulation by fans, popular musicians remain strangely enigmatic figures, shrouded in mythology. This volume looks beyond the myth and examines the diverse role music makers have had to adopt in order to go about their work: designer, ventriloquist, star, delegate of the people.