The Marley family has lost one of their loved ones. Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley, the grandson of Bob Marley and son of Stephen Marley, has died at 31, a rep for Marley confirmed to Rolling Stone. A cause of death was not announced.
His family has not yet issued a statement, though aunts Sharon and Cedella Marley both shared white squares on their Instagram feeds, prompting followers to extend their condolences in the comments.
Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness extended his love to the Marley family in a Dec. 27 tweet, writing, “My heartfelt sympathies to Joseph’s friends and associates and to the Reggae music fraternity and fans everywhere. His untimely passing at the young age of 31 y.o. is a huge loss to the music as we look to the next generation.” In a follow-up message, Holness added, “May he find Eternal Peace as we mourn his loss during this season of goodwill when we celebrate with family and friends our love for each other.”
Born in his family’s native Jamaica in 1992, Jo arrived in the United States and settled in Miami at the age of 11. He often performed with various members of his family, including his father Stephen and Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which consisted of his uncle Ziggy and aunts Sharon and Cedella.
Jo’ solo music endeavors include his debut EP Comfortable, which arrived in 2014. By 2016, he featured on “Revelation Party,” a track on his father’s album Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life. In 2021, the musician released a full album titled Eternal, which featured figures in reggae and dancehall including Busy Signal, Black-Am-I and Kabaka Pyramid.
