"But there was more to Bob Marley than meets the eye and it might be a pleasant discovery to some that Bob Marley, just before he died, confessed Jesus Christ as Lord. In other words, he denied that Haile Selassie was God (as Rastas believe) and asserted Jesus as the true living God. If you ask me how I know this; lets take a journey with a man who has, for years been close with the Reggae maestro, who once shared similar beliefs with Bob. I introduce to you,
Tommy Cowan.
Bobs conversion
Tommy Cowan, is a very experienced musical icon in Jamaica. Having burst on the Jamaican music scene in the 1960s with the group called
The Jamaicans and a hit song from the group that won the 1967 Jamaica popular song festival competition
Baba Boom. Tommy has traveled the world of music. He later became one of the most sought after promoters of shows in Jamaica and overseas and yes, he too was a staunch Rastafarian. He knew Bob very well because he managed Marleys business for years while touring with him to Africa, Europe and the U.S. Tommy was probably closer to Bob Marley than most people who knew him were. Bob Marley, of course, was gifted, very gifted person. You could probably say he never made a bad song and you know that gifts come from the Lord, says Tommy.
I had the distinct privilege of rapping briefly with Tommy about Bob in an exclusive interview. Tommy is the manager and husband of famed Jamaican gospel singer,
Carlene Davis. He converted to Christianity and has taken his music-wise entrepreneurship to help advance the current movement of gospel music in the region."
As he lay back on his chair resting on the wall of his hotel room at Divi Little Bay, Tommy colorfully described the rarely spoken of experience of Bob Marley, about a year before he died. Bob Marley himself, before he died, he got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Tommy says with much conviction. What does Selassie teaches, that Jesus Christ is the only way
He (Bob) through whole treading of Rasta found that Jesus Christ is the way. As a matter of fact, in one song you would have heard him militantly (saying) how they crucified my Jesus Christ and they sold Marcus Garvey for rice
One of his songs said, Give us the teachings if his majesty because we dont want the devils philosophy. Bob, Tommy recalls, called the bishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and told him I need to be baptized now. Just recently Tommy was speaking with the said bishop who described Bobs baptism. At one point he (Bob) cried for 45 minutes non-stop; his tears wet the floor. And the Holy Spirit came down upon his body and he cried out Jesus Christ three timesJesus my Savior, Jesus Christ.
This for Tommy, spells a lot and will be a powerful testimony to the power of Jesus in times to come, especially to Rastas. It also is a lesson that no matter where we have gone or what we have done in life, God has a plan for every life. Selassie, Tommy notes, has made it clear, he is not the messiah nor God the creator; he worships Jesus Christ.
From Selassie to Jesus
Been there, done that sums up Tommys life and career. Today, being an indomitable force in the promotion of gospel music, Tommys life is now geared toward winning souls for Christ through the enhancement of music loaded with messages of hope, peace, love and Jesus. Among the things he has done in his secular music career, Tommy has hosted major reggae events such as
Sting and
Reggae Sunsplash.
Tommy has taken his musical deftness to the gospel music world, promoting gospel shows like Fun in the Son, a major four-day gospel music and evangelism festival in Ocho Rios, Jamaicas north coast resort town and
Gospel Traina gospel music tour around Jamaica. On the side of community work, Tommys
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