Joseph ‘Jo Mersa’ Marley, Bob Marley’s grandson and Stephen Marley’s son, dies at 31; cause of death not immediately disclosed

Miami — Reggae musician Joseph “Joe Mersa” Marley, grandson of Bob Marley and son of Stephen Marley, has died at the age of 31.

His rep confirmed his death to Rolling Stone on Tuesday, but the cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

Born in Jamaica and raised in Miami, Marley followed in his family’s musical footsteps, taking the stage with his family’s bands, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers. She started writing songs when she was in middle school and made her musical debut in 2010 with the song “My Girl”, a collaboration with her cousin Daniel Bambaataa Marley. In 2016, he co-wrote a song with his father for his album Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life.

Marley grew up with a musician father and was surrounded by Bob Marley’s other children, including uncle Ziggy and aunts Sharon and Cadella.

In a previous Rolling Stone interview, Joe Martha Marley talked about how music wrapped up his upbringing.

“I went home and tried to do my homework, but I got distracted and ended up looking into the studio.

Eager to forge his own path, he will release his debut album ‘Eternal’ in 2021. He studied studio engineering at his Dade College in Miami.

“I’m one of the new generation Marleys, but at the same time I’m still experimenting,” he told Rolling Stone. “My plan is to do something new with my roots.”

Marley’s death was met with condolences on social media, including a post by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“My deepest condolences to Joseph’s friends and associates, and to the fraternity and fans of reggae music around the world,” Holness tweeted on Tuesday. It’s a big loss for music looking to the next generation.”