Though Bob’s name is in the film’s title, Rita Marley is the heart and soul of “One Love.” She is a resilient partner to Marley, but also one that keeps him humble; during a heated argument – one of the few scenes that portrays Bob in a more nuanced light – Rita insists she had been provided offers to record her own music but gave them up to help spread Bob’s message on tour. This is partially true, as the real Rita would only officially release her first solo albums toward the end of the touring years. However, the film does not mention that she was writing, promoting, and recording songs before this time and, more specifically, that Bob was not initially supportive.
German record label Hansa Music contacted Rita in the late ’70s to produce a solo record. After years singing backup for Bob, Rita saw this as her moment to finally step into the spotlight and chart her own path. Bob, however, wanted Rita to sing exclusively with The Wailers, and had become possessive.
In Rita’s memoir, “No Woman, No Cry,” she recalls a time Bob got so heated that he chased a publicist away. “I think he was a little bit crazy with jealousy at that point,” she writes. “It was a devastating experience and I was furious and ashamed.” Eventually, Bob came to terms with Rita’s decision, and her album, “Who Feels It Knows It,” was released in 1981.
