Bob Marleys Legacy Thrives Through Grammy-Winning Family

It's impossible to think of modern reggae without considering the artists responsible for revolutionising the genre, taking distinctive beats of Jamaican origin from humble ska and rocksteady beginnings to the commercial mainstream and beyond.

Indeed, if 1960s psychedelia redefined the pop stratosphere, then reggae outliers of the 1970s heralded a new dawn of socially conscious lyrics, experimental dub and spiritual themes that are arguably no less relevant today than they were almost 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 long, but it is perhaps Bob Marley whose influence is most keenly felt - not least among his own family members.

Accompanied by his band The Wailers, Marley enjoyed enormous commercial success throughout the '70s with a string of hit albums and a seemingly endless stream of genre defining songs - among them I Shot The Sheriff, Jamming, Get Up, Stand Up and the anthemic No Woman, No Cry.

But his life was tragically cut short in its prime, with the legendary musician passing away aged 36 in 1981 after a four year battle with aggressive .

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 - and 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.

But 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's provided backing vocals on many of the band's best known recordings and would accompany them as they travelled the world. 

Following Bob's death, the group released the single He's A Legend - a tribute to the late singer - 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, this time 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 to be more than capable of following in his father's prodigious footsteps by fronting Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers - named after the popular British music paper - with his siblings, Sharon, Cedella and Stephen. 

Shortly after his father's death, Ziggy would also perform with The Wailers - initially in Jamaica before embarking on a wider tour with the band 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 has recorded ten LP's over a 20 year period.  

'I think for me what I learned from my father most [from] being around him is a way of having principles and living up to your principles and standing up for your principles,' he told GRAMMY.com of Marley's lasting influence. 

'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 would remain with the group until they disbanded in 2002, before moving into A&R.

She became curator of the Bob Marley Museum at the age of 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. Debut album Firebird followed in 2024. 

Discussing her close family bond with Foyer at the time, she said: 'My parents always told us we didn't need to have any friends because they were enough of us as brothers and sisters. So, we grew up very close-knit and that's the way my children are as well.'

She added: 'Singing comes naturally for me and I love to hear my mother's voice. As life would have it, I do have her singing tone, so I sound a lot like her, which I've been told. 

'Being that she's lost her voice somewhat, it became necessary for me personally to sing. It was comforting for me to hear that [singing] tone again.' 

To date, she has sold more than two million records globally and has 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 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 would go 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, released in 2011 - earning him Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album.

As a producer, Stephen earned further accolades for his work with younger brother Damian, among them 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 would earn three Grammy Awards. 

The daughter of Bob and Rita, Cedella's recording career came largely as a member of family group Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers, with whom she would earn three Grammy Awards. 

Following their disbandment, the singer launched several clothing lines, 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 would maintain close ties with music through his former partner and children.

Indeed, 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 would earn a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album the following year. 

As a solo artist, the enigmatic Hill won further acclaim with the release of her first - and only - solo album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, in 1998. 

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 the age of 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. 

Second LP Halfway Tree, released in 2001 and co-produced with older brother Stephen, earned him a Grammy Awards 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. 

Fourth album Stony Hill, released in 2016, would win him his fourth Grammy, again for best Reggae Album. 

Speaking in 2006, Damian insisted he felt no pressure to build on his father's incredible legacy with his own music. 

'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, what’s all important is that we’re making music.' 

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. 

But he was set to follow in his mother's footsteps by preparing for a professional sporting career - albeit football, not table tennis - when he made his first appearance onstage at his late father's posthumous 50 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 features a sample of his father's classic 1976 track, Crazy Baldhead. 

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. 

Other collaborators have included rap group P.M Dawn, Stefflon Don, Vybz Kartel and the late XXXTentacion. 

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 the age of 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 would later play an invaluable role in JuIian's early recording career by producing his 1996 debut album, Lion In The Morning. 

The talented musician has released four albums to date. His third, Awake, earned him a Grammy Award nomination in 2009.

Fifteen years later he would win Best Reggae Album for his collaboration with Antaeus on their 2023 LP, Colors of Royal. 

Sharing his father's incredible 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. 

'Basically, he gave himself to deliver this message at a time when it was unheard of; people were like, who is this Rasta man coming with this message?

'It was very hard; people couldn’t get it and didn’t want it, but they couldn’t stop it. Because as sure as the sun will shine, music is needed.' 

Skip Marley

Cedella Marley's son with husband David Minto and grandson of the late 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 for Island Records the following year and has busied himself with a flurry of single releases since then, earning two Grammy Award nominations in the process. 

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. I don’t have a problem with that person. He has a problem with himself. 

'Life is not a joke. We have to defend what’s right and come together, no more we and them. All of us. Together.

'My grandfather was working towards that. His music is still delivering the message of love, all these years later. He said that his music would continue to grow until it reached all of the right people. 

'If my grandfather said it, it is the law.' 

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. 

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 track 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 the age of 13 with a shoot for Teen Vogue before starring in a string of commercial magazine campaigns for the likes of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, ELLE, and CR Fashion Book, among others. 

Selah's growing popularity led to the New York Times listing her as one of Fashion's New 'it' Kids in 2016 - a label many fashion giants appeared to agree with, notably Kanye West and his Adidas Yeezy footwear brand, who drafted her in to model their designs. 

In 2022, her association with West would lead to inevitable controversy when she modelled one of the designer's notorious "White Lives Matter" shirts during a Yeezy SZN 9 preview in Paris. 

The 27-year old has also starred in campaigns for Converse, Michael Kors, Beyoncé's Ivy Park clothing range, Dior Beauty and Chanel. 

After launching a string of non-album singles, she released her debut EP Star Power in 2021. 

Selah has previously described her past as 'turbulent and traumatic' and says her father was largely absent during her childhood, while her mother would frequently use physical punishment on her children.

'She was just very angry,' she told Clash. 'So, so, so, so, so, so angry. She was literally not easy to talk to and then half the time we didn’t live with her. 

'I lived with my grandparents half the time… It’s crazy, I’m playing this trauma back in my head as I speak to you.' 

Claudette "Black Pearl" Livingston 

Perhaps lesser known than other, more consistently successful 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, 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 personal philosophy that genuine wealth is found in spiritual wellbeing, rather than personal finance and material possessions. 

There's another nod to the reggae legend in the track listing, with Claudette including a cover of his 1974 track, Natty Dread. 

The singer's past battles with addiction had previously hindered any desire to launch a music career.

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.'