Ziggy Marley

Ziggy Marley is an eight-time Grammy winner, Emmy winner, musician, producer, activist and humanitarian who has cultivated a legendary career for close to 40 years. The eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy has hewed his own path as a musical pioneer, infusing the reggae genre with funk, blues, rock and other elements through mindful songcraft. Equal parts master storyteller and motivational guide, he deftly explores issues from environmental awareness to self-empowerment, social injustice to political inequity, while returning again and again to the transformative power of love.

Marley's musical roots run deep, providing strength for his growth as an artist. His latest work reflects his role as a father of seven with four young kids at home — More Family Time, a long-anticipated follow-up to his 2009 Grammy-winning album Family Time. In his eighth full-length solo album, Ziggy channels the wild energy and excitement of his youngest child, Isaiah, into musical form. He's joined by all of his school-age kids — Isaiah (4), Abraham (8), Gideon (13) and Judah (15) — as well as his brother Stephen Marley and such diverse friends as Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper, Angelique Kidjo, Lisa Loeb, Tom Morello, Alanis Morissette and Busta Rhymes. The songs are fun for kids, yet sophisticated enough for parents and others, with ten tunes plus a bonus track on the CD, Jamie Lee Curtis reading from her new children's book, Today I Feel Silly. The first single, "Play with Sky" with guest artist Ben Harper, drops July 24.

About the album, Marley says "Children are wonderful people and now more than ever they need our attention and love. These songs, I hope, will bring joy to your family as it does to mine."

Marley is a longtime beloved contributor to children's entertainment. From on-camera guest spots to voice acting to original songs, his projects include Shark Tale, Dora the Explorer, The Disney Reggae Club, Wonder Pets, Third and Bird, Arthur, Sesame Street and HBO's Saving My Tomorrow, as well as co-curating a "Saving the Earth with Music" exhibit in conjunction with the Grammy Museum and California Science Center.

With a portion of the proceeds from More Family Time to benefit his children's organization U.R.G.E., Marley is involved in other youth initiatives. This summer he launched Camp Wha Gong to educate and engage kids, from offering guitar tutorials online to cooking, for those sidelined at home due to COVID-19. Recently seen on an episode of the Apple TV reboot of "Fraggle Rock," he's also planning a new children's book next year based on two songs from More Family Time.

Through his leadership of Tuff Gong Worldwide, an offshoot of his father's music label Tuff Gong Records, Ziggy is also overseeing the marketing campaign for Bob Marley's 75th birthday, including the curation of a photo book with 150 rare images, to be published this October, and the limited engagement release this summer of the acclaimed documentary Marley, a detailed account of his father's life originally produced by Ziggy in 2011. Reinforcing his reputation as a community leader, one who has peacefully participated in Black Lives Matter protests, in July Marley received the Black Press of America's prestigious Global Icon Achievement Award.

A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Ziggy first sat in on recording sessions with his father's band, the trailblazing Bob Marley and the Wailers, when he was ten years old. This organically led him, joined by his brother Stephen and sisters Sharon and Cedella, to become the Melody Makers. Launching in 1985 with Play the Game Right, they won their first Grammy for their third album, Conscious Party (1988), an all-around success produced by Talking Heads' Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, which included the hit singles "Tomorrow People" and "Tumbling Down."

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers followed the success of Conscious Party with two critically acclaimed albums, One Bright Day (1989), earning a second Grammy, and Jahmekya (1991). For the next decade, the prolific group continued to release music including Joy and Blues (1993), Free Like We Want 2 B (1995), Fallen is Babylon (1997), which captured a third Grammy, and The Spirit of Music (1999). During this time, they took part in numerous children's projects: lending "Give a Little Love" to the Disney album For Our Children to benefit the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, appearing on "Sesame Street," and recording the reggae-style theme song "Believe in Yourself" for the children's television series "Arthur."

After two decades as the driving creative force behind the Melody Makers, Ziggy's first solo tour came in Summer 2002, joining such artists as Sheryl Crow, Train and O.A.R. The following year saw the release of his debut solo album, Dragonfly, followed by 2006's Love Is My Religion, which garnered his fourth Grammy Award, and his first as a solo artist. It also marked the first release on his self-owned record label, Tuff Gong Worldwide. Simultaneously, Ziggy was able to reclaim the rights to all of his compositions and founded Ishti Music, his independent music publishing company. Before artist-owned record labels were commonplace, Bob Marley, characteristically ahead of his time, envisioned an artist independent of the major labels and publishing companies. Now, decades later, Ziggy had realized his father's dream.

In 2009, Ziggy released his third solo album, Family Time. The album, comprised of children's songs, won a fifth Grammy in a new category for him, Best Musical Album for Children. The album featured appearances by siblings Rita and Cedella and daughter Judah, as well as other notable guests including Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson and Paul Simon. The following year, Ziggy turned his attention to film production with Marley Africa Road Trip as well as the celebrated documentary Marley, produced by Magnolia Pictures. In 2011 he released his fourth studio album, Wild and Free, which topped Billboard's reggae chart at #1. The Grammy-nominated album was accompanied by his first-ever comic book, the superhero-themed Marijuanaman.

Marley earned back-to-back Grammys with his next two projects, the live album Ziggy Marley in Concert (2012) and the studio album Fly Rasta (2014), the first-ever reggae album featured in iTunes' "First Play" program. In between, he released his debut children's book, I Love You Too, based on his 2013 children's song heard in the Disney Channel series "3rd & Bird," which would add an Emmy Award to his mantle.

In 2015, Ziggy and his brother Stephen teamed up with high-end menswear designer John Varvatos, appearing in the brand's spring and summer ad campaigns. The following year the eponymously named Ziggy Marley, which produced the single "Weekend's Long," peaked at #1 on Billboard's U.S. Reggae Album chart. His sixth solo studio album, a deeply introspective project that he personally produced and mixed, earned Ziggy his eighth Grammy Award. That same year, Marley channeled his passion for working in the kitchen into the Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook. It featured both Ziggy's own recipes and those of friends and family, and in support of its publication, Ziggy appeared on the popular TV shows "Chopped" and "The Chew."

Ziggy Marley is recognized as a continual innovator in the reggae format, fusing its traditional sound with other genres, modern sounds and new recording techniques. In 2017 Marley's contributions were recognized with the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, making him the first reggae artist to receive the prestigious award in its more than three-decade history. That year, Ziggy paid tribute to his father's legacy, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Time Magazine's "Album of the Century" with the release of Exodus 40: The Movement Continues. Ziggy unearthed the original master tapes for one of Bob Marley's most iconic albums to recreate its songs with unheard takes, instrumentation and brand-new mixes.

In September of 2022, Ziggy released a deluxe version of More Family Time with six new tracks and additional bonus content, as well as issuing the album on vinyl for the first time. In November of 2022, Marley published his latest children's book 'Music is in Everything' based on the song from the album.

Using his success to champion political and philanthropic causes, Ziggy initially served as a Goodwill Youth Ambassador for the United Nations and participated in Bob Marley Foundation initiatives worldwide. He later expanded his ambitions by founding his own charity, U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), a non-profit organization whose mission ranges from building new schools to operating health clinics, supporting beneficiaries including One Love Youth Camp and Chepstowe Basic School in Jamaica and HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles).