It is impossible to consider modern reggae without acknowledging the artists who revolutionised the genre, taking its distinctive Jamaican roots from humble ska and rocksteady beginnings into the commercial mainstream and beyond. If 1960s psychedelia redefined the pop stratosphere, then the reggae outliers of the 1970s heralded a new era of socially conscious lyrics, experimental dub, and spiritual themes that remain as relevant today as they were nearly half a century ago.
From Burning Spear to Toots & The Maytals, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Dennis Brown, and Jimmy Cliff, the list of reggae revolutionaries is extensive. Yet it is perhaps Bob Marley whose influence is most profoundly felt, not least among his own family members. Accompanied by his band The Wailers, Marley achieved enormous commercial success throughout the 1970s with a string of hit albums and a seemingly endless stream of genre-defining songs, including 'I Shot The Sheriff', 'Jamming', 'Get Up, Stand Up', and the anthemic 'No Woman, No Cry'. However, his life was tragically cut short; the legendary musician passed away at the age of 36 in 1981 after a four-year battle with aggressive cancer.
May 11 marks the 45th anniversary of Marley's death, and his musically gifted family continue to honour his legacy through endeavours that have won both commercial and critical acclaim, along with multiple awards. Read on for the full list.
Rita Marley
One cannot consider Bob's legacy without looking to his indomitable wife Rita, an ever-present throughout his remarkable career. Born in Cuba before moving to Jamaica's Trench Town as a child, Rita was a member of rocksteady group The Soulettes before marrying the reggae legend in 1966. However, it was her work with fellow singers Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt as The Wailers' I Three harmony group that earned her wider recognition. Formed in 1973, the I Three provided backing vocals on many of the band's best-known recordings and accompanied them as they travelled the world. Following Bob's death, the group released the single 'He's A Legend' in 1985. In her own right, Rita's 1981 album 'Reggae Sunsplash ’81, A Tribute to Bob Marley' earned her a Grammy nomination in the Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording category. She earned a second Grammy Award nomination for Best Reggae Album following the release of LP 'We Must Carry On' in 1988. Away from music, Rita has transformed her late husband's Kingston home into the Bob Marley Museum, a shrine to his life and career, while also leading local education and healthcare charities in their names.
Ziggy Marley
Born David Nesta Marley in 1968, the reggae legend's eldest son with wife Rita adopted his stage name after developing a love of David Bowie and his Ziggy Stardust alter-ego in the 1970s. He would soon prove capable of following in his father's prodigious footsteps by fronting Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers with his siblings Sharon, Cedella, and Stephen. Shortly after his father's death, Ziggy performed with The Wailers, initially in Jamaica before embarking on a wider tour following the 1984 release of seminal compilation album 'Legend'. An influential artist in his own right, Ziggy has released eight solo albums away from the Melody Makers, with whom he recorded ten LPs over a 20-year period. 'I think for me what I learned from my father most is a way of having principles and living up to your principles,' he told GRAMMY.com. 'His example is a good example for me... selflessness, charity, standing up for what you believe, and having principles. Spirituality too.'
Sharon Marley
The biological daughter of Rita Marley, Sharon was adopted by Bob after her mother married the reggae legend in 1966. A founding member of the Melody Makers with half-siblings Ziggy, Stephen, and Cedella, she remained with the group until they disbanded in 2002, before moving into A&R. She became curator of the Bob Marley Museum at age 22, holding the position for 12 years while also running the Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers fan club alongside her brothers' record label, Ghetto Youths International. She returned to the stage in 2021 with the release of her debut single 'Just One More Morning', a song originally recorded by her mother. Her debut album 'Firebird' followed in 2024. 'My parents always told us we didn't need to have any friends because they were enough of us as brothers and sisters,' she told Foyer. 'Singing comes naturally for me and I love to hear my mother's voice. I do have her singing tone, so I sound a lot like her.' To date, she has sold more than two million records globally and won three Grammy Awards for her work with the Melody Makers on the albums 'Conscious Party', 'One Bright Day', and 'Fallen Is Babylon'. She is also the first black female artist to earn a platinum record in the United States.
Stephen Marley
An eight-time Grammy winner, Stephen Marley has emerged from beneath his father's tall shadow to forge an enormously successful, decades-spanning career. Born in 1972, Bob and Rita's second son began his career as a member of Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers when he was just seven years old. He went on to record three studio albums as a solo artist, with his first two—2007 release 'Mind Control' and 'Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root Of Life' (2011)—earning him Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album. As a producer, Stephen earned further accolades for his work with younger brother Damian, including Grammy Awards for 'Halfway Tree' in 2002 and 'Welcome to Jamrock' in 2006. To date, he holds the record for most Grammys won by a child of Bob Marley.
Cedella Marley
Cedella's recording career came largely as a member of family group Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers, with whom she earned three Grammy Awards. The daughter of Bob and Rita, Cedella launched several clothing lines following the group's disbandment, including Catch a Fire—named after her father's 1972 album—High Tide, Nice Time Deconstructed, and Nice Time Kids. Inspired by her father's music, Cedella also wrote and produced 'Bob Marley's Three Little Birds', a celebratory musical about his life and career, at New York's New Victory Theater in 2014. She serves as the acting director of the Bob Marley Foundation, a charity that aims to develop educational and community initiatives across Jamaica.
Rohan Marley
Born out of wedlock as a result of Bob's extramarital affair with 16-year-old Janet Hunt, Rohan initially embarked on a sporting career after establishing himself as a talented linebacker with the University of Miami football team. Entering the Canadian Football League, he played several games for the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1995, but maintained close ties with music through his former partner and children. He began a long-term relationship with Lauryn Hill in 1996, while she was at the height of her popularity with New Jersey-based hip hop trio Fugees. The group climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with second album 'The Score' that year and earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album the following year. As a solo artist, Hill won further acclaim with the release of her first and only solo album, 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill', in 1997. A father of eight, Rohan's two children with Hill—Joshua and Selah Marley—have also pursued their own music careers.
Damian Marley
Bob's youngest son and only child with Jamaican jazz singer and beauty queen Cindy Breakspeare, Damian embarked on his own music career at age 13. As a member of The Shephards, he performed at Jamaica's Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1992 before embarking on a solo career that has so far spawned four successful albums and four Grammy Awards. His second LP 'Halfway Tree', released in 2001 and co-produced with older brother Stephen, earned him a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. In 2006 he made history, becoming the first black artist to win two Grammy Awards in one night and the first to win a Best Urban/Alternative Performance award for his third album, 'Welcome To Jamrock'. His fourth album 'Stony Hill', released in 2016, won him his fourth Grammy, again for Best Reggae Album. Speaking in 2006, Damian insisted he felt no pressure to build on his father's legacy. 'If anything I feel support from my family,' he told LeftLion. 'My big brother produces for me, and our work is all about the vibe and feel of what we’re doing.'
Ky-Mani Marley
Bob's only child with Jamaican table tennis champion Anita Belnavis, Ky-Mani began rapping and singing as a teenager after being inspired during a trip to a Miami recording studio. He was set to follow in his mother's footsteps by preparing for a professional sporting career—football, not table tennis—when he made his first appearance onstage at his late father's posthumous 50th birthday celebration, held at the Bob Marley Museum, in 1996. Signed to Shang Records that year, Ky-Mani ensured Bob's influence was felt on his debut album 'Like Father Like Son', which includes the single 'Dear Dad'. Featuring the emotive lyrics 'Dear dad, I really didn’t get to know you and sometimes it makes me blue', the song samples his father's classic 1976 track 'Crazy Baldhead'. His third album 'Many More Roads' earned him a Grammy Award nomination in 2004. His most recent release, the 2016 LP 'Conversations', was a collaboration with German reggae artist Gentleman.
Julian Marley
Born in London through Bob's extramarital affair with Lucy Pounder, Julian became interested in music at an early age and recorded his first demo on the Marley family estate in Jamaica at age five. Predominantly raised in the English capital by his mother, the self-taught musician relocated to his father's homeland in 1992, where he united with his brothers to establish the Ghetto Youths International production company. Older brother Stephen later produced his 1996 debut album 'Lion In The Morning'. Julian has released four albums to date; his third, 'Awake', earned him a Grammy Award nomination in 2009. Fifteen years later he won Best Reggae Album for his collaboration with Antaeus on their 2023 LP 'Colors of Royal'. Sharing his father's legacy with GRAMMY.com, Julian said: 'I see my father not as a martyr, but like seeing Christ walk. He went out and he give, and he give, and he give until there is nothing more to give. That type of work is endless; that’s one of the reasons why he’s so powerful because it is a God-given mission.'
Skip Marley
Cedella Marley's son with husband David Minto and grandson of Bob Marley, Skip released two singles before winning wider exposure by starring in a denim campaign for American clothing brand The Gap in 2016. He subsequently signed to Island Records the following year and has busied himself with a flurry of single releases, earning two Grammy Award nominations. Yet to release his debut album, the 29-year-old has performed at the Grammys, the BRIT Awards, and the iHeartMusic Radio Awards. Speaking to The Times about the racial themes his grandfather addressed through his music, he said: 'I travel a lot for my music and I don’t always see things that make me happy. I am a black man and some people want to say things because of the colour of my skin. Let me tell you, it’s their problem, not mine. Life is not a joke. We have to defend what’s right and come together, no more we and them. All of us. Together.'
Joshua 'YG' Marley
Born in Beverly Hills, the son of Rohan Marley and Lauryn Hill is a rising reggae and R&B star whose career began when he joined his mother onstage as a child. He won commercial recognition with the release of his debut single 'Praise Jah in the Moonlight' in 2023. Its subsequent appearance on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it climbed to number 34, made him the sixth Marley family member to score a hit on the same chart. His second single 'Survival'—a title borrowed from his grandfather's eleventh studio album of the same name—was released the following year. The track also features a sample from 'Ambush In the Night', a song written and recorded by Bob for the same album in 1979.
Selah Marley
YG's older sister and the daughter of Rohan and Lauryn, Selah Marley initially established herself as a model before branching into music. Born in Miami, Florida, Selah began her modelling career at age 13 with a shoot for Teen Vogue, later starring in campaigns for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, ELLE, and CR Fashion Book. Her growing popularity led to the New York Times listing her as one of Fashion's New 'it' Kids in 2016. She modelled for Kanye West's Adidas Yeezy footwear brand, which led to controversy when she modelled one of his 'White Lives Matter' shirts during a Yeezy SZN 9 preview in Paris. She has also starred in campaigns for Converse, Michael Kors, Beyoncé's Ivy Park, Dior Beauty, and Chanel. After launching non-album singles, she released her debut EP 'Star Power' in 2021. Selah has described her past as 'turbulent and traumatic', saying her father was largely absent and her mother frequently used physical punishment.
Claudette 'Black Pearl' Livingston
Perhaps lesser known than other family members, Claudette is Marley's half-sister through his mother Cedella's relationship with reggae legend Bunny Wailer's father, Thaddeus Livingston, in the 1960s. Born in Trench Town, Jamaica, and raised in Miami, Florida, Claudette, now 63, released her ten-track debut album 'Your Richness Is Life' in 2025. The title derives from brother Marley's philosophy that genuine wealth is found in spiritual wellbeing, not material possessions. The album includes a cover of his 1974 track 'Natty Dread'. Past battles with addiction had hindered her music career, but now eight years clean and sober, Claudette told GRAMMY.com: 'I got to a point and I thought, it’s time for me to sing the songs that I have written. I thank God for putting this angel of opportunity in my path, and for being here to share my music with the world.'
