Over the course of his 36-year life, legendary Jamaican singer Bob Marley gave birth to more than ten kids, many of them followed in their father’s musical footsteps and became artists.
In 1963, Bob Marley, a Jamaican musician, singer, and songwriter, was a member of the Wailing Wailers. Nearly ten years after their big break, the global reggae music ambassador became the first global celebrity from the so-called Third World.
The renowned musician passed away at the age of 36, yet his legacy has endured for more than 40 years. Some of his offspring have carried on his legacy by following in his footsteps.
Rita Marley has a child with Bob from a prior relationship, and that child is Sharon. Sharon became his oldest kid after he adopted her and gave her his last name.
She joined the Jamaican-American reggae family band known as Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers as a singer.
Sharon and three of her siblings made comprised the group. Between 1989 and 1998, they collectively won three Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album.
At age 12, Sharon began writing, performing, and recording music. She served as the Bob Marley Museum’s manager and curator between 1986 to 1996.
In addition, she signed artists for the label her brothers established at the time while working in public relations. The recording company was Ghetto Youth United. She founded Total Care Learning Center in 2001 and rose to the position of managing director.
The facility emphasizes early childhood education and uses a childcare model that has been adopted by kids and child care professionals. She keeps working on her music career throughout all of this.
The second child of Bob and Rita, Cedella was given her maternal grandmother’s name. She is a talented singer, just like her parents, and is most known for managing the Marley Natural, Tuff, and Gone brands, which are connected to her father’s name.
She is a singer as well as an author, a businesswoman, and a fashion designer for the “Catch A Fire” casual wear line. She also assists in running the several businesses owned by her family.
Cedella has also managed to balance being a wife, a mother of three boys, and a businesswoman with her busy traveling schedule.
The first child of Bob and Rita, Ziggy, whose true name is David Nesta, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 17, 1968. He enjoys music and giving back to the community, just like some of his brothers.
As a solo artist, he has at least 15 albums out. His debut album was released in 2003, and his second album—which won him a Grammy Award—was released four years later.
The album “More Family Time” was released in 2020 by the creator of Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers. His current area of interest is writing picture books for kids. “Bob Marley: Portrait of the Legend” is a photobook that Ziggy made as a tribute to his father.
Stephen, Bob and Rita’s second-eldest child, had the honor of sharing the stage with his father when he was eight years old. He developed into a musician as a young adult and worked on numerous of his siblings’ albums.
He has received eight Grammy Awards, and in 2017 he launched Kaya Fest, an annual music festival. His family members performed at the inaugural festival among other prominent reggae and hip-hop giants like Pit Bull, Wyclef Jean, and Busta Rhymes.
Named like his father, Robert Marley Jr. typically goes by Robbie to avoid confusion with Bob. He was born on May 16, 1972, and is Bob’s child with Pat Williams.
Robbie, who grew up with Bob and Rita and chose not to pursue a music career, is more passionate in graphic design.
In 2011, he and his brothers Ziggy and Rohan published “Marley Africa Roadtrip,” a travelogue of their exploration of their father’s ancestry, musical legacy, family, and African unity.
Bob’s son with Janet Hunt is named Rohan. He wasn’t a musician when he was born on May 19, 1972. He had five kids with Lauryn Hill, a hip-hop artist, when they were married.
Currently the owner of Marley Coffee, the father of eight made news when his first child with Hill called him and her mother out.
The daughter of Rohan accused him of avoiding her and bickering with her in front of her. He expressed his affection for his daughter on Instagram and apologized to her.
He told her that he had changed and had matured. Rohan went on to say that he is always learning, would give his kids better lessons, and would always be there for them.
The daughter of Bob and Rita, Stephanie, was born on August 17, 1974. In contrast to her siblings, she also does not work in the music industry and has a more quiet life.
She does, however, work as an agent for a modeling talent agency and is involved in the modeling side of the entertainment industry.
Bob’s relationship with Janet Bowen began in 1972 and ended in 1973, at which time Karen was born. She was born and raised in Jamaica along with the other Marley children, but she chose to pursue a career in fashion rather than music.
She runs the design company By Karen Marley. The fashion designer once posted the lyrics to “Forever Loving Jah” on her social media page as a tribute to her late father.
In addition, Karen shared a motivational message in memory of her father. She uttered:
“Make the decision today to grow from your mistakes. Make the decision to accept any obstacle as a chance to grow. Pick the setbacks to strengthen your resolve. Decide to channel your annoyances into more resilient patience.”
She advised her followers to make a decision to take good action and to not allow anything stand in the way of their happiness.
On June 4, 1975, Bob welcomed Julian after his split from Lucy Pounder. He was born in England and pursued a career in music like his father.
He works together with his siblings a lot. Caveri, Julian’s only child, passed away at a young age after developing a brain tumor.
In 1996, Julian issued his debut album, “Lion In The Morning.” “A Time & Place,” “Awake,” and “As I Am” are a few of his other pieces.
The musician has never placed pressure on himself to do as much as his father did. In his view, everyone is on a mission, has something to contribute, and should do what they can.
On February 26, 1976, Ky-Mani was born to Bob and Anita Belnavis, a world champion in table tennis. He joined the Marley family in the entertainment industry but did not grow up in the Marley household.
His acting credits include “King Of The Dancehall,” “Shottas,” “One Love,” and “Eenie Meenie Miney Moe,” in addition to his work as a hip-hop and reggae musician.
He has released numerous albums, including “Like Father Like Son,” “Radio,” “The Journey,” and others. “Many More Roads” garnered a Grammy Award nomination.
The youngest son of Bob is Damian, sometimes known as “Junior Gong” after his father, “Tuff Gong.” On July 21, 1978, Bob had him with Cindy Breakspeare, a former beauty queen.
He is also a successful artist who draws inspiration from hip-hop and dancehall as well as older genres like reggae. DJ Damian debuted his debut album in 1996.
His first record served as a tribute to his father. The rapper earned Grammys for “Welcome to Jamrock,” “Stony Hill,” and his second album, “Halfway Tree.”
Days after the death of her father, Makeda Jahnesta was born. She was Yvette Crichton’s youngest child and was born on May 30, 1981.
She gained notoriety in June 2020 after speaking in front of a crowd and encouraging fellow Black Lives Matter protesters in Washington. There isn’t much information available on her, but she has a son named Kai and regularly updates her social media with news about him.
After a struggle with illness, the musician’s life was cut short in 1981 at the age of 36. On the eve of Bob Marley’s 75th birthday, his family gathered together to plan a year of festivities.
The singer’s birthday was on February 6; the celebrations took place two weeks beforehand. It included a pre-Grammys breakfast with Mastercard and Universal Music.
A brand-new music video for the tune “Redemption Song,” which just turned 40, as well as other recordings, exhibits, and previously unheard songs from their family’s private vault were all part of the festivities.
These took place just before the COVID-19 pandemic, which put a stop to a lot of family and global plans. In spite of the unpredictability, some of Marley’s family members, like Ziggy, turned to music and spent more time with them.
Through social media, the Marley family has actively posted about their lives on numerous occasions, keeping their fans up to speed.
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