Reggae musician Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley, the grandson of Bob Marley and son of Stephen Marley, has died. He was 31. Marley’s representative confirmed his death to Rolling Stone. A cause of death was not announced.
Jamaican politician Mark J. Golding was among those who mourned Marley’s death. “I’ve just learned of the tragic loss of Joseph ‘Jo Mersa’ Marley,” Golding wrote. “A talented young reggae artiste, son of Stephen Marley & grandson of Bob Marley at only 31 yrs old. The loss of a child is a devastating blow no parent should face, my condolences to Stephen & the entire family.”
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Marley was born in Jamaica in 1991 and moved to Miami at 11. He grew up surrounded by musicians, including his father, his uncle Ziggy Marley, and aunts Sharon Marley and Cedella Marley. He began his own music career in middle school and released his first song, “My Girl,” in 2010. He released his debut solo EP, Comfortable, in 2014. Two years later, he collaborated with Stephen on the song “Revelation Party,” featured on the album Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life. Last year, Marley released his second EP, Eternal, which includes contributions from Busy Signal, Black-Am-I, and Kabaka Pyramid.
Marley was among the members of his family included in Rolling Stone‘s 2014 feature on the dynasty influenced by Bob. He told the magazine that creativity was constantly flowing in and out of his home. That made it difficult to want to be anything but a musician.
“It was a very magical thing, seeing those people come around to the house and how the whole work process would happen,” Marley said at the time. “I would come home and try to do homework, but I’d end up getting distracted and go peek in the studio. You would always want to run in and run out to see what was going on.”
However, Marley hoped his work would stand on its own. “I am one of the new generation of Marleys, but I am still experimenting at the same time,” he said. “My plan is to do something new with my roots.”
Bob Marley is best known for spreading reggae around the world through a series of iconic hits and albums released during the 1960s and 1970s. The “No Woman, No Cry” singer died in 1981 after he was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma. He was 36. Bob’s 1984 posthumous compilation Legend is one of the best-selling albums of all time. Marley’s father, Stephen, 50, is one of four children Bob had with his wife, singer Rita Anderson.
