Neville Garrick, the reggae artist's former collaborator, told the publication "A Broadway play on Bob Marley is supposed to be the next big project I'll be working on with the (Marley) family."

The play, which would focus on Marley's early years in music, is among a number of projects that are in the works in this, the observance of the 60th anniversary of the his birth.

"Since 1993, we've been looking at this Bob Marley movie which never came to fruition," Garrick is quoted. "But we feel a play, which we might call Trench Town Rock... about the era of the coming of age of Bob Marley... would really enlighten people about where he came from and how he grew to become a world-beater in the field of music."

Born Robert Nesta Marley on Feb. 6, 1945, the Jamaican singer-songwriter who played guitar, popularized reggae music outside his native country. Known for his work as a member of the group "The Wailers," Marley's songs include "No Woman, No Cry," "I Shot the Sheriff," "Get Up, Stand Up," "Jamming," "Redemption Song," "Stir It Up" and "Africa Unite."

Marley died May 11, 1981 after cancer originally discovered in his toe had spread to his brain, lungs and stomach. His Rastafarian beliefs kept him from amputating the toe and surgery and treatment did not prove successful and he succumbed to the disease. The life and music of another popular singer-songwriter, John Lennon, currently plays on Broadway in Lennon.