Jo Mersa Marley, the eldest son of Stephen Marley and a grandson of Bob Marley, has died at 31. His representative confirmed the death to Rolling Stone on Tuesday; the magazine later reported that Joseph Marley died on December 26, 2022, in Miami-Dade County. No cause of death has been given. Reports are that he was found unresponsive in a vehicle, the Jamaica Observer and Gleaner say.
“Joseph ‘Jo Mersa’ Marley was a strong, humble, talented, beautiful human being. A son, husband, father, brother, nephew and cousin and a well-loved Young Lion,” Ghetto Youths International, the Marley brothers’ label, said in a statement carried by the Gleaner. “Jo’s memory, spirit and his music will live on as a testament to his great impact in his short 31 years.”
‘Something new with my roots’
Born in Jamaica in 1992, Marley moved to Miami at 11 and grew up around his father’s studio. “I would come home and try to do homework, but I’d end up getting distracted and go peek in the studio,” he told Rolling Stone in 2014. As a child he shared stages with Stephen and with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, singing their “Look Who’s Dancing” alongside his cousin Daniel Bambaata Marley. The two cousins also made his official debut together, “My Girl,” in 2010.
He studied studio engineering at Miami Dade College, the Associated Press notes, released the Comfortable EP in 2014 and joined his father on “Revelation Party” from Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life in 2016. His most recent project, Eternal (2021), carried collaborations with Busy Signal, Black Am I and Kabaka Pyramid; “Burn It Down,” “Made It” and “No Way Out” are among his better-known songs. “I am one of the new generation of Marleys, but I am still experimenting at the same time,” he said in 2014. “My plan is to do something new with my roots.”
Tributes
Culture Minister Olivia Grange said she was “deeply saddened,” recalling that he had performed at the Jamaica 60 launch in Miramar, Florida, in May. “I extend my deepest condolences to Stephen, Jo’s mom, Kerry, the Marleys and other family members,” she said. His “untimely passing at the young age of 31 years old is a huge loss to the music as we look to the next generation.”
Opposition Leader Mark Golding wrote: “The loss of a child is a devastating blow no parent should face, my condolences to Stephen & the entire family.” Producer Walshy Fire posted: “(Jo Mersa’s) talent and intelligence was insane. Love you king. So glad I got to work with you.”
Listen and dig deeper
- Browse Jo Mersa Marley and Stephen Marley in the JamaicansMusic library.
- From our archive: “Jo Mersa Marley finds his ‘Sunshine’ on new single” (2014).
Sources: Rolling Stone — “Jo Mersa Marley, Grandson of Bob Marley and Son of Stephen, Dead at 31” (Jon Blistein, Dec 27, 2022, updated Dec 28); Jamaica Observer — “Bob Marley’s grandson Jo Mersa dead at 31” (Dec 27, 2022); Jamaica Gleaner — “Minister Grange ‘deeply saddened’ by death of Stephen Marley’s son Jo Mersa” (Dec 27, 2022); AP — “Jo Mersa Marley, Bob Marley’s grandson, dies at 31” (Dec 28, 2022); Jamaica Gleaner — “Remembering those who died in 2022” (Jan 6, 2023). Same-day reports gave the date of death as December 27; Rolling Stone’s updated report places it on December 26.
Editor’s note: This story is part of an archive backfill covering Jamaican music news from 2022 to 2026. It is dated to the events it reports.