Today would have been Bob Marley's 69th birthday.

Marley was born in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica on Feb. 6, 1945. His Jamaican roots remained a cornerstone of Marley's personal identity and musical style , selling over 20 million records throughout his career. Marley began his career in music as part of The Wailers, a group which helped to shape the reggae genre as they released some of the earliest albums of its kind. In the mid'70s, Bob Marley launched his solo career, quickly becoming a cultural icon, largely due to the popularity of his album "Exodus."

Marley's Rastafarian lifestyle and reggaecrossover music are as culturally iconic now as they were during his 36 years of life. The musician died of melanoma in 1981.

Happy birthday, Bob Marley! The sun is shining .