Reggae legend Bob Marley’s grandson passes away at 31

Jo Mersa Marley, the grandson of famed Reggae musician Bob Marley, died recently (Pic. Courtesy Twitter/@ReggaeBrit)

It’s a sad day for the Marley family as they mourn the passing of a young family member.

Jo Mersa Marley, the grandson of famed Reggae musician Bob Marley, died recently, as per a report by US-based news portal, The New York Post. Jo, who was also a reggae musician of Jamaican-American heritage, was found unresponsive in a vehicle, The Post cited a tweet by journalist Abka Fitz-Henley.

The reason for the death of the ‘Hurting Inside’ singer was confirmed to be an asthma attack, The NY Post cited an Instagram post of South Florida radio station, WZPP.

The ‘Burn It Down’ singer spent much of his early life in Jamaica. Subsequently, he moved to Florida to attend high school.

He later attended Miami Dade College to study studio engineering, The Post cited Jamaica Observer.

“In all honesty, it depends on the vibe because sometimes you will have a tune or idea, like a whole tune is in your head but no beat, and other times, you have a beat and no tune,” he said. “That’s for me, of course. I can’t speak for everyone. Some songs I am able to finish in a night, and some take longer,” The Post quoted Jo Mersa from an interview with the Jamaica Gleaner.

“My father (Stephen Marley) has created a legacy by putting out songs with meaning, It’s something I have to live up to,” he added.

His grandfather Bob Marley was a major contributor to the popularization of Reggae music. Some of his greatest hits included “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” “Is This Love,” “I Shot the Sheriff” and “No Woman, No Cry”.

He had passed away in 1981 of melanoma, aged 36, as per The New York Post.

Talking about the legacy of his legendary grandfather, the ‘Mucho humo’ singer said, “We always hear those reflections, speaking about those things, about the role that he played not only as family member and father, but also in the world and the impact he had on the Reggae community and the Reggae culture, the roots, bringing forward the message of Rastafari and love, over all love”.

Jo Mersa is survived by his wife, daughter and sister Mystic Marley, who is also a musician. (ANI)

IN Bureau