Jo Mersa Marley, grandson of Bob Marley, also a Jamaican American reggae artist, passed away aged 31. The popular singer was allegedly found unresponsive in a vehicle, as suggested by multiple reports on Tuesday. A few reports also suggest that South Florida radio station WZPP confirmed that Marley unexpectedly passed away because of a sudden heart attack.
Earlier life
According to the New York Post, Jo Mersa Marley spent his early years in Jamaica before moving to Florida for attending high school. For the unversed, Jo was Stephen Marley’s oldest child and is survived by seven sisters and five brothers. He reportedly made his stage debut at the age of 4 years when he appeared with his father, his uncle Ziggy Marley, and aunts Cedella Marley and Sharon Marley at a particular performance. Reports also state that he studied studio engineering at Miami-Dade College. In 2014, Jo also released an EP, Comfortable, which included a title track. The artist further released his second EP, Eternal in 2021.
The connection to the late Bob Marley
Talking about Jo, he is the son of Stephen Marley, who was the son of the legendary reggae artist Bob Marley. His grandfather was known to be a significant pioneer in the reggae movement and released popular songs, such as Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, Is This Love, Get Up, Stand Up, I Shot the Sheriff among several other tracks. Bob Marley passed away in 1981 because of melanoma at the age of 36 years. The singer had eleven children and Stephen Marley was one of them.
Marley was known among his fans as a Rastafari icon and was loved for his infusion of music with a particular sense of spirituality. He also became a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture that has a popular fan base even now. The popular singer was also known for his strong political beliefs and was outspoken in his support for democratic social reforms. The singer reportedly faced an assassination attempt in his home back in the year 1976.