Ziggy Marley

  • Kingston, Jamaica
    hometown
  • Reggae
    genre
  • 1979
    started
  • Bio
    full story
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About Ziggy Marley


The oldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita, Ziggy Marley was the natural heir to the throne left vacant by his father's untimely death in 1981. Along with backing band the Melody Makers, a unit comprised of his brothers and sisters, he successfully carried on the tradition of communicating the music's message to a growing global audience, even scoring a U.S. Top 40 single in the process -- a claim neither of his parents could make. Born David Marley in Kingston, Jamaica on October 17, 1968, he received guitar and drum lessons from his father, and began sitting in on Wailers recording sessions at the age of ten. In 1979, Ziggy, his sister Cedelia, brother Stephen, and half-sister Sharon all joined Bob in the studio to record the single "Children Playing in the Streets." Christened the Melody Makers, the four siblings continued playing together at family events, and even performed at their father's state funeral.

Marley was not even 17 when he and the Melody Makers issued their EMI debut LP, Play the Game Right. The burdens of becoming a second-generation star weighed heavily on the youth -- who looked and sounded almost eerily like his father -- and he allowed the record and its 1986 follow-up, Hey World!, to veer closely toward pop music, resulting in derision from reggae purists. Poor sales, combined with EMI's public desire to market Ziggy Marley as a solo act, prompted Marley & the Melody Makers to jump to the Virgin label, where they entered the studio to record their masterpiece, 1988's Conscious Party. Produced by Talking Heads' Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, the album was both a critical and commercial smash, with the single "Tomorrow People" reaching number 39 on the pop charts. The follow-up, 1989's One Bright Day, continued the Melody Makers' artistic growth; it was also their best-selling effort to date, cracking the Top 20 and, like its predecessor, winning a Grammy.

Marley & the Melody Makers resurfaced in 1991 with Jahmekya, another assured and creative effort. It sold well, edging into the Top 20, but failed to generate much radio or video airplay. Released in 1993, Joy and Blues barely charted, despite adding elements of contemporary dancehall (a showcase for Stephen's rapping skills). The latter record was the Melody Makers' last release for Virgin, and they moved to Elektra for 1995's Free Like We Want 2 B. Fallen Is Babylon followed in 1997, and scored a third Grammy. Like his father, Marley eventually emerged as a leading political voice, and was named a Goodwill Youth Ambassador for the United Nations; at home in Kingston, he also founded his own record label, Ghetto Youth United, created to spotlight the next generation of reggae talent.

In addition to the four siblings in the Melody Makers, three other Marley children -- Damian, Julian, and Ky-Mani -- also pursued careers in music. The music continued into the new millennium, as Marley released Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers Live, Vol. 1 in fall 2000. Without the Melody Makers, Dragonfly was released as his first official solo album in 2003, but its 2006 follow-up, Love Is My Religion, was the one with the hit, as the album’s title track put Ziggy back on reggae radio throughout the globe. His 2009 effort, Family Time, was a charming children’s album, while 2011’s Wild and Free returned to the socially conscious reggae that launched his career. In 2012, he released his first comic book featuring the hero Marijuanaman, and followed it in 2013 with the live album In Concert. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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Music

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  • Family Time
    ziggy-marley
    Video
    Family Time
  • Love Is My Religion
    ziggy-marley
    Video
    Love Is My Religion
  • Tomorrow People
    ziggy-marley
    Video
    Tomorrow People
  • 65971
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    SoundStream
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    All the music you want, just 10 bucks a month. Try it free.
    • Beach In Hawaii
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/7/1/0/7/967570175.mp3
    • Tomorrow People
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/9/3/1/4/113441395.mp3
    • True To Myself
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/6/0/0/5/6/105465006.mp3
    • Cry Cry Cry featuring Jack Johnson, Paula Fuga (Live)
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/5/1/3/7/0/906607315.mp3
    • Love Is My Religion
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/1/4/1/0/7/967570141.mp3
    • Wild and Free
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/9/8/9/9/6/967569989.mp3

Interviews & Exclusives

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  • Bob Marley's 'Legend' Comes To Rock Band
    ziggy-marley
    video
    Bob Marley's 'Legend' Comes To Rock Band

Photos

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News

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  • Ziggy Marley
    Ziggy Marley Embraces 'Family' Ties
    www.billboard.com
    Ziggy Marley has drafted his siblings, daughter and some superstars to assist on his first children's album, "Family Time," due May 5 from Tuff Gong. ...
    Read More
  • Ziggy Marley
    Ziggy Marley Remixing Dad's Classics For Kids
    www.billboard.com
    Hibbert along with his mother Rita Marley and sister Cedella Marley. His three-year-old daughter Judah, who Marley calls his "muse" on the album, appe...
    Read More
  • Ziggy Marley
    Ziggy Marley to Release 'Wild and Free' Album June 14 | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    After taking on children's music on 2009's "Family Time," Ziggy Marley returns to his regular musical path with "Wild and Free," due out June 14 on hi...
    Read More
  • Ziggy Marley
    Ziggy Marley, Jennifer Hudson to Lead Bob Marley Week on 'Fallon' | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    performed have been announced, nor have specifics on how the show's house band, the Roots, will be involved. The Business of Bob Marley: Billboard Cov...
    Read More
  • Ziggy Marley
    Ziggy Marley Celebrates Bob Marley's Legacy at Grammy Museum | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" to kick off a week of performances of songs by Marley and the Wailers. Ziggy Marley also has a new album, "Wild and ...
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  • Ziggy Marley
    Warren Haynes Band and Ziggy Marley Will Replace Levon Helm and Bunny Wailer at JazzFest
    www.jambands.com
    Ziggy Marley and Warren Haynes Band have joined the lineup for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Both acts will replace marquee acts who recen...
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  • Ziggy Marley
    Ziggy Marley On 'In Concert,' Working on 'One Man' Studio Album | Billboard
    www.billboard.com
    With his first live album about to be released, Ziggy Marley is already back in the studio, working on songs for his next album. "I'm thinking about p...
    Read More

Tour Dates

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  • May 26 Sunday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Intramural Field, UCLA
    Buy Ticket
  • May 27 Monday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Intramural Field, UCLA
    Buy Ticket
  • May 27 Monday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Intramural Field, UCLA
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 20 Thursday
    Calgary, AB, Canada Jack Singer Concert Hall (ECPA)
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 27 Thursday
    Victoria, BC, Canada Royal Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 29 Saturday
    Jacksonville, OR, US Britt Festivals Gardens and Amphitheater
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 30 Sunday
    Portland, OR, US Oregon Zoo
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 3 Wednesday
    Snoqualmie, WA, US Snoqualmie Casino Mountain View Plaza
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 5 Friday
    Saratoga, CA, US Mountain Winery
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 6 Saturday
    Ventura, CA, US Majestic Ventura Theater
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 30 Friday
    Paso Robles, CA, US Vina Robles Amphitheatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 1 Sunday
    Las Vegas, NV, US Mandalay Bay Beach
    Buy Ticket

Discography

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Next Page
  • In Concert (2013)
    Ziggy Marley
    In Concert (2013)
    VP
  • Let's Go Back...Way Back, Vol. 1: Dancehall Originators (2011)
    Ziggy Marley
    Let's Go Back...Way Back, Vol. 1: Dancehall Originators (2011)
    VP
  • Wild and Free (2011)
    Ziggy Marley
    Wild and Free (2011)
    VP
  • Family Time (2009)
    Ziggy Marley
    Family Time (2009)
    VP
  • Love Is My Religion (2006)
    Ziggy Marley
    Love Is My Religion (2006)
    Tuff Gong Worldwide
  • Dragonfly (2003)
    Ziggy Marley
    Dragonfly (2003)
    Private Music
  • Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers Live, Vol. 1 (2000)
    Ziggy Marley
    Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers Live, Vol. 1 (2000)
    Elektra Entertainment
  • The Spirit of Music (1999)
    Ziggy Marley
    The Spirit of Music (1999)
    Elektra Entertainment
  • Reggae Is Now (1998)
    Ziggy Marley
    Reggae Is Now (1998)
    EMI Music Distribution
  • Fallen Is Babylon (1997)
    Ziggy Marley
    Fallen Is Babylon (1997)
    Elektra Entertainment
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