Bob Marley’s Grandson Jo Mersa Marley Dead At 31

Bob Marley’s Grandson Jo Mersa Marley Dead At 31,Jo Mersa Marley, Bob Marley's grandson and Stephen Marley's son is dead at 31, allegedly from an asthma attack.

Bob Marley’s Grandson Jo Mersa Marley Dead At 31

Bob Marley‘s grandson, singer Jo Mersa Marley has reportedly died, aged just 31. He was the oldest son of Stephen Marley and leaves behind a wife and several siblings.

Not much is known about his death but Southern Florida radio station WZPP reported the confirmed cause of Jo Mersa’s death as an asthma attack, although no autopsy details have been released yet. Scroll down to know more about Jo Mersa…

Jo Mersa Marley Comes From A Storied Family

Jamaican American reggae artist Jo Mersa Marley, grandson of Bob Marley and the son of Grammy-winner Stephen Marley, passed away aged 31. The singer was allegedly found unresponsive in a vehicle and investigations are on to confirm the cause of death.

#JUST_IN: Jamaican/American Artiste, Joseph Marley, who’s also known as Jo Mersa (@JoMersaMarley), was found dead today in the USA.
Marley was found unresponsive in a vehicle.
Marley is the son of Reggae Star Stephen Marley & the grandson of reggae legend, Bob Marley. pic.twitter.com/jyH8A4YkK6
— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) December 27, 2022

Further tweets by journalist Abka Fitz-Henley stated that the cause of the death is unclear, and “Autopsy not yet performed to confirm the cause of death. However, sources close to the developments believe Joseph Marley might have succumbed to an asthma attack.”

Jo is the son of Stephen Marley, who himself was the son of reggae legend Bob Marley. Bob Marley is recognized as a pioneer in the reggae movement and known to be a Rastafarian. His most popular songs were “Buffalo Soldier,” “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Is This Love,” and “I Shot the Sheriff” among others. Marley died young too, passing away in 1981 of melanoma at the age of 36. The singer had 11 children with seven women with Stephen Marley being one of them.

This was Jo Mersa’s last post:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jo Mersa (@jomersamarley)

Jo Mersa Wanted To Live Up To His Marley Name

In an interview with Pier, Jo Mersa spoke about what it meant to carry the Marley name. He said, “There are things that you have to overcome and things you just have to do and that’s how it is. We have to go through life, you know? There’s no pressure for me. I give thanks for being a Marley. I’m very appreciative and thankful that I am born where I am born and put where God has decided. I’m very thankful about it and proud.”

He was also very proud of Bob Marley, as he told Reggaeville, “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, overall love.”

Sadly, his life was cut short.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 92.7/96.1 FM WZOP/WZPP RADIO (@wzppradio)

Tributes Pour In For Joe Mersa Marley

The “Burn It Down” singer is survived by his wife and daughter along with other members of the Marley family.

According to various sources, Jo Mersa spent his early years in Jamaica before moving to Florida in high school. He reportedly made his stage debut at 4 when he appeared with his father, his uncle Ziggy Marley, and his aunts Cedella Marley and Sharon Marley at a performance.

Later, Jo went to study studio engineering at Miami Dade College. IN 2014, Jo released an EP, “Comfortable”, which also included a title track. The artist later released his second EP, “Eternal” in 2021 and explained his musical process to Jamaica Gleaner, saying, “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. That’s for me, of course. Some songs I am able to finish in a night, and some take longer.”

Tidal posted to Twitter honoring the late artist, the post read “Forever in our hearts. RIP Jo Mersa Marley.”

The Jamaican PM also sent his condolences:

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 31y.o. is a huge loss to the music as we look to the next generation.
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) December 28, 2022

Shaggy also expressed his regret: