Ziggy Marley Biography

David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley is a Jamaican musician and lead member of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which he formed in 1979 with his siblings. He is the eldest son of legendary Bob Marley and Rita Marley.

Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers

In 1979, Ziggy, his sisters Sharon, Cedella and his brother Stephen formed the Melody Makers. Their first song, Children Playing in the Streets, was written by Bob Marley himself. The band rose to fame in 1988, due to their third album, Conscious Party, which earned a Grammy Award. The album peaked at number 23 in the US. Additionally, it spawned a popular single, Tomorrow People. One year later, they released another Grammy-awarded record, One Bright Day. Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers had an intense activity during the 90s. They released numerous albums, notably 1997’s Babylon Is Fallen. The group was often compared to Bob Marley and the Wailers. Furthermore, All Music Guide stated that “it was impossible not to hear Bob in Ziggy’s vocals”.

Solo Career

As a solo artist, Ziggy released 6 studio albums, 4 of them topping the Reggae Albums chart. His solo debut came in 2003. The album Dragonfly reached number 3 on the Reggae chart. Moreover, it featured a collaboration with Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea and John Frusciante, called Rainbow in the Sky. Three years later, Ziggy gained his first solo Grammy, thanks to his second album, Love Is My Religion. Family Time came out next, in 2009. The children album featured Donna Summer on the title track, as well as other important artists throughout the playlist. In 2011, Ziggy released Wild and Free. The title track included vocals from the acclaimed actor Woody Harrelson. The 2014 album, Fly Rasta and the 2016 eponymous album, were also extremely successful. The latter marked the musician’s best chart position, at 99 on the Billboard 200.

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