Portraits of The King is a photography book dedicated to Bob Marley (1945-1981), a genuine superstar and reggae icon. Photographer Dennis Morris followed Marley and the Wailers closely from their first UK tour (the 'Catch a Fire Tour') in 1973 and took many images, many of which are portraits as result of their friendship and will be familiar to anyone with a decent pop cultural radar.
Portraits of The King contains 50 photographs of Marley, episode texts and graphic art by the book's designer, 9T. The book underscores the rare access to the star enjoyed by Morris who captures Marley's genuine smile, pensiveness and even the dignity Marley bought to smoking weed.
The book follows the exhibition, Portraits of the King: Bob Marley by Dennis Morris, which ran at 28 Old Burlington Street in London in early 2024.