"Jimmy Fallon" to honor Bob Marley next week

NBC”s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (Monday-Friday, 12:35 a.m. ET) will host a weeklong tribute to Bob Marley beginning May 9 to honor the 30th anniversary of his last concert and death. Jimmy welcomes musicians Ziggy Marley, Chris Cornell, Jennifer Hudson, Jakob Dylan and Lenny Kravitz to celebrate the legendary reggae artist’s musical legacy. Each night, the “Late Night” musical guest performs a classic Marley song. The weeklong event is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.

“Big up Jimmy Fallon for honoring the memory of my father,” said Ziggy Marley. “Much respect.”

In his first appearance on “Late Night,” Marley kicks off this special event on Monday, May 9 when he sits down with Jimmy to chat about his dad and sticks around after to perform.

On Tuesday, May 10 the commemoration continues with a performance by Chris Cornell; Wednesday, May 11 Jennifer Hudson is scheduled to sing; followed by Jakob Dylan on Thursday, May 12 and Lenny Kravitz to close out the week on Friday, May 13.

Bob Marley's last concert was at The Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA on September 23, 1980 and featured many of his biggest hits. Universal Music Enterprise recently released a CD of the live concert in a 2-CD collection, which includes “Get Up Stand Up," the last song Marley ever performed live in concert.

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" is produced by Universal Media Studios and Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer. Michael Shoemaker produces. Gavin Purcell co-produces. For more Late Night, please visit http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/


ABOUT THE MUSICIANS

Ziggy Marley
A five-time Grammy winner and Reggae icon, Ziggy Marley has had a fruitful career, in which he has released twelve albums to much critical acclaim. His early immersion in music came at age ten when he sat in on recording sessions with his father, Bob Marley. As front man to Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, Ziggy released eight best-selling albums that garnered three Grammys, with such chart-topping hits as "Tomorrow People" and "Tumbling Down." Ziggy's first solo album, “Dragonfly,” was released in 2003. His second solo release, “Love Is My Religion,” won a Grammy in 2006 for Best Reggae Album. His third solo album, “Family Time,” scored him a 5th Grammy award. Ziggy continues his creative path this year with a new album entitled “Wild and Free,” due out June 14th. He also just released his first ever graphic novel to rave reviews.

Chris Cornell
Grammy winning rock icon Chris Cornell is one of the greatest male voices of our time. Having sold over 21 million albums, he has experienced both critical and commercial success as a singer/songwriter for his bands Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, as well as his own solo work. Currently wrapping up his sold out first ever solo acoustic tour, he’s currently preparing to hit the road with Soundgarden this summer and will release a much anticipated solo live acoustic album in the fall.

Jennifer Hudson
An Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Jennifer Hudson is an extraordinary talent. In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award for her role as “Effie” in the smash hit “Dreamgirls,” and will next star as Winnie Mandela in the upcoming biopic “Winnie.” Hudson’s sophomore album, “I Remember Me,” hit stores March 22, 2011 and landed at number 2 on Billboard’s Top 200. She will begin her second national tour in June 2011.
Jakob DylanJakob Dylan is a two-time Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter. He first earned national attention as the lead singer for The Wallflowers, who have sold over seven million records worldwide since forming in 1990. Dylan has released two critically acclaimed solo albums, “Seeing Things” and “Women + Country,” collaborating with legendary producers to create music widely recognized for its attention to themes such as disillusionment, perseverance and the struggles of the human spirit.

Lenny Kravitz
Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, selling over 38 million albums worldwide and winning four consecutive Grammy Awards from 1999 to 2002. In 2009 this multi-talented artist appeared in the critically-acclaimed film “Precious,” earning an individual 2010 NAACP Image Awards nomination as well as a Screen Actors Guild nomination along with the cast for “Best Ensemble.” He is currently in the studio working on his 9th album, “Black and White America,” set for release in 2011.