It was revealed yesterday that musician Joseph “Joe Marsa” Marley, the grandson of Bob Marley and the son of Stephen Marley, passed unexpectedly at the age of 31. (between Tuesday and Wednesday). His death’s cause is still a mystery.
1992 saw the birth of Joseph in Jamaica, and at the age of 11, he relocated to Miami. Growing up, he was immersed in music, sharing the stage with his father and his uncle Ziggy Marley and the Melodie Makers. He began creating songs in middle school, releasing his first single, “My Girl,” in 2010, followed by his debut EP in 2014.
Marley previously discussed his upbringing in a musical setting in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Watching these folks come to the house and how the entire work process would take place was a pretty amazing thing,” he remarked. “I would try to finish my homework when I got home, but I would always get sidetracked and go look at the studio. You would constantly want to enter and exit to check on what was happening.
On Twitter, Jamaican politician and head of the opposition Mark J. Goulding expressed his sorrow at Marley’s passing and wrote: “I have just learned of the tragic loss of a young and talented reggae artist, the son of Stephen Marley and the grandson of Bob Marley at the age of only 31. Loss of a child is a devastating blow that no parent should have to endure, my condolences to Steven and the whole family.”
