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Undoubtedly, those who had built their lives and businesses around Bob Marley and his music felt threatened by his decision to be baptized. Most ignored it as an embarrassment, while others dismissed it as a mere formality without meaning. But Judy Mowatt, one of his famous "I-Threes" backup singers, tells an even more amazing story, of the reggae superstar's deathbed conversion.

I am sitting in the Hard Rock Café in Birmingham watching the big screen, which is showing a classic Bob Marley clip of "Jammin'" and watching the distinctive figures of three magnificently dressed ladies - Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt and Rita Marley - swaying gently to the music as they sing backing vocals. I am transfixed because only days earlier I had interviewed Judy Mowatt, and she was remembering this period of her life.

The trio had met working in the studio, and their voices had immediately blended into something special. Marley himself had recruited them to be part of his backing band, The Wailers.

Judy remembered, "The first song we did was 'Jah Live,' and Bob wanted us to work with him on his 'Natty Dread' album. The I-Threes continued to work with Marley until his death."

As you'd expect, Judy was totally engrossed in Rastafarianism, as she explained, "I was a Rasta for 22 years and I was genuine. I embraced the objectives of Rastafari, knowing that one of the aims and objectives were to repatriate to the land of our ancestors. And also to make music to let people be aware of who they are as a people and knowing that the western hemisphere is only a place for them to pass through, but we should return to our father's land. That was my plan, but God had a different plan! After 22 years I became very unfulfilled, dissatisfied; not by any one thing or by any one person, but I started to search inside because I realized that there was something else that I needed that I could not put my hand on. I knew that God was calling me into deeper waters. I was a little bit fearful because I was wondering what my brothers and sisters would say and what would be their reaction. So I was a bit fearful."

At the same time as her search, the singer's personal life was filled with difficulty too, where two family members were in serious situations. She didn't go into detail but confessed, "I was at a place where I thought I wanted to die but I never had the strength to take my own life. I started praying and I said, 'God, I really don't know you because if I knew you, then all of this would not have been happening to me.' Not knowing that God had used that situation to draw me to him, I started reading my Bible. I had read my Bible three times from cover to cover, and I started reading, but the things I was seeing this fourth time were what I never saw in the three times I read my Bible."

She continued, "I was seeing it through another pair of lenses. I read, 'Wherein, there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved, but by the name of Jesus Christ.' That flew out of the Bible and into my spirit, and that really turned the key. Whenever you have a mindset and you seriously believe something, you're not going to open to anything else, and I wasn't open to anything else. But God opened me to start seeking and searching."

Listening to an interview with Haile Selassie really challenged Judy's thinking.

She remembered, "The interviewer asked him, 'Why is it that people say you are the returned Messiah?' and he answered through an interpreter - 'I'm a mere man. I will be replaced by the oncoming generation and a human being should not be emulated for a deity.' Somebody gave me a book, an autobiography and selected speeches of 'His Majesty' and I see where 'His Majesty' is a Christian king! I recognize now that instead of worshipping him, I should be worshipping who he is worshipping! So I see 'His Imperial Majesty' as my teacher."