One Love, One Life, 25 Years Later

May 9, 2006 — -- Bob Marley is still stirring up the music world 25 years after his death.

Just ask top-selling Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu, who pays homage to Marley when he sings the music legend's "Rastaman Chant" at all his concerts.

"I heard 'Rastaman Chant' when I was a teenager at 17," he told ABCNEWS.com. "It was the first song that I would just sing to myself. … It became like an anthem to me, a song that I would just sing walking down the street. It's a song I love performing at every one of my shows."

Thursday will mark the 25th anniversary of Marley's death. Marley died of cancer on May 11, 1981, but his music continues to top the charts.

Compilations of his greatest hits -- "20 Best of Bob Marley" and "Golden Legends: Bob Marley" -- have peaked at No. 8 and No. 10 respectively on the Billboard magazine's top-selling reggae album charts this year. According to Billboard, albums by Bob Marley & The Wailers were third on the 2005 reggae charts, trailing only Sean Paul and Marley's youngest son, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley. Albums under Bob Marley's name alone were No. 9 on Billboard's charts.

"Legend," the definitive collection of Marley's greatest hits, remains the best-selling reggae album of all time. In addition, he has been ranked among the Top 10 of Forbes' highest-earning deceased celebrities in four out of the five years it has compiled the list, making an average of $8.4 million a year.

The timeless message of his music, though, is part of his appeal.

"His music is melodic and the rhythm is appealing to any age, and many children pick up on his music at a very early age," said Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and Marley's former manager. "When they become teenagers, the relevance of the lyrics kick in, and his music lasts with you forever."

Marley barely knew his father, a white English soldier who oversaw a Jamaican plantation when he met Marley's mother, Cedella Booker. Shunned by his wealthy English relatives, Marley grew up in the Kingston slum of Trenchtown, becoming aware of the corruption in his country's government and law enforcement.