‘ReMastered: Who Shot The Sheriff?’ Examines The Attempted Assassination Of Bob Marley

Jamaican reggae is one of the more misunderstood of musical genres. Underneath its seductive low-end timbre, entrancing offbeat rhythms and beautiful lilting melodies, beats a heart of social outrage, revolutionary fervor, and Biblical retribution. As Winston “Niney” Holness sang in 1971, “Judgement has come and mercy has gone / All weak hearts shall lick up and spit up / Let it burn, let it burn / Let it burn, burn burn / Blood, blood, blood, BLOOD AND FIRE!” Somehow, though, it’s also the soundtrack to which blazed, affluent college kids play hacky sack to.

Among numerous injustices, is the fact that despite a rich and diverse history that stretches back to 1960s, the only reggae artist most people know is Bob Marley. However, it’s somewhat understandable considering he’s arguably the genre’s greatest songwriter, among its greatest singers, and for all intents and purposes broke reggae worldwide. In both life and death, Marley was more than just a musician; he was an icon, a voice for the downtrodden, and a leader people looked to for guidance. His stardom and public standing drew him into the political violence of mid-’70s Jamaica, and in December 1976, an attempt was made on his life. That failed assassination plot is the subject of “Who Shot The Sheriff,” the premiere episode of the new Netflix music documentary series ReMastered. It is currently available for streaming, with another eight installments on different subjects scheduled through spring 2019.

“It’s very difficult to separate fact from fiction,” a disembodied voice says at the start of the episode, which for the next hour presents various conspiracy theories about the incident, with little definitive evidence. What’s known is that by 1976, political violence in Jamaica had reached new levels of bloodshed and brutality. On one side was Michael Manley, the island nation’s Prime Minister since 1972 and figurehead of democratic socialists, the People’s National Party, PNP. His rival was Edward Seaga, leader of the conservative Jamaica Labour Party, or JLP. Both parties cultivated relationships with local gangs and gangsters in order to reinforce their political power with physical muscle and get out the vote, by any means necessary.

Marley was no stranger to Jamaican street violence, having lived in Kingstown’s rough Trenchtown neighborhood and grown up with gang leaders on both sides of the divide. As Jamaica’s most famous resident, both the PNP and JLP courted his support; however, he was distrustful of the political apparatus as a whole, and realized the danger in choosing a side. In hopes of easing tensions between the two warring factions, Marley planned to headline the Smile Jamaica Concert on December 5, 1976. The ruling PNP then scheduled elections the next day, making it appear as if Marley was endorsing their platform and, intentionally or not, drawing him into the fray.

Death threats started almost immediately, with Marley being told to withdraw from the concert or else. In response, the PNP installed armed guards at Marley’s residence in uptown Kingston to protect him. In fact, his home was considered neutral ground, where members from both sides of the conflict could party with the reggae star and his retinue without fear of violence breaking out.

On the evening of December 3rd, a posse of gunmen stormed Marley’s compound and unleashed an extended hail of bullets, injuring Marley, his wife Rita, and manager Don Taylor. Thankfully, all three survived and there were no fatalities from the attack. Despite his injuries, Marley was undeterred from performing at the concert, which would swell to a crowd of over 80,000, and saw him perform an inspired hour-plus set, at one point showing the crowd the bullet wounds on his chest and arm.

Feeling he was no longer safe in Jamaica, Marley spent the rest of his life living and touring abroad, while the country sank further into violence and chaos. He was persuaded to return home in April 1978 to perform at the One Love Peace Concert, which was organized after gang leaders declared a truce, and saw Marley bring Manley and Seaga on stage and join hands in a show of unity. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last. Violence continued and in 1980, Seaga was elected Prime Minister. Later that year it was discovered Marley’s body was rife with cancer, and he died at the age of 36 in May 1981.

While “Who Shot The Sheriff?” is professionally produced and engaging to watch, it falls short as actual investigative journalism. The episode explores whether Marley was targeted by political factions, pissed off gangsters, the C.I.A., or some three-headed monster with parts of each. However, little evidence is offered beyond hearsay and conjecture. Most convincingly, it presents the case that Jamaica itself was caught in the cross hairs of the Cold War between the United States, who were covertly supporting Seaga, and the forces of communism, as exemplified by Manley’s relationship with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, with the Marley shooting being just the most famous instance of collateral damage in a country beset by violence.

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter: @BHSmithNYC.

Watch ReMastered: Who Shot The Sheriff? on Netflix