Don't worry about a thing … every little thing gonna be all right (except for acral lentiginous melanoma)

Abstract

Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and musician, considered one of the pioneers of reggae. In July 1977, he was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma on his right great toe, which presented as a pigmented subungual lesion. Marley was advised to have his digit amputated, but he refused and opted for less invasive solutions. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 36 of metastatic disease in May 1981 after a 4-year battle with the disease. Marley has served as the posthumous poster child for skin cancer in people with skin of color for decades and has raised public awareness of this rare form of malignant melanoma.