Bob Marley, one of the greatest artists of all time, left an outstanding musical legacy. Known for iconic albums like “Exodus” and “Legend” and timeless hits such as “No Woman, No Cry” and “Redemption Song,” Bob Marley had a huge influence on the reggae genre and helped popularize the Rastafari movement.
One aspect that continues to fascinate fans and the general public is the size of the family Bob Marley built during his lifetime. Born on February 6, 1945, and passing away on May 11, 1981, from complications related to melanoma, a form of skin cancer, Bob Marley fathered several children.
According to the official Bob Marley website, the singer is survived by 12 children and his widow, Rita Marley.
In this article, we’ll explore how many kids Bob Marley had and with whom, from the oldest to the youngest children.
Who Did Bob Marley Have Kids With?
Bob Marley fathered children with several women, resulting in a vast and varied family. Cedella, Ziggy, and Stephen were the three biological children of his wife, Rita Marley. Additionally, Bob adopted Stephanie and Sharon, two of Rita’s children from past marriages. This served as the foundation of the Marley household, and Rita was instrumental in the upbringing and care of the kids.
Bob Marley had children from relationships with several women outside of his marriage. Yvette Crichton (mother of Makeda), Lucy Pounder (mother of Julian), Anita Belnavis (mother of Damian), Cindy Breakspeare (mother of Ky-Mani), Pat Williams (mother of Robbie), Janet Hunt (mother of Rohan), and Janet Bowen (mother of Karen) were among them. Bob Marley is well-known for having fathered at least 12 children with eight women.
Despite the complicated family relationships, several of Bob’s children have continued their father’s legacy in different ways by pursuing careers in business, philanthropy, and music. Through individual and group activities, the Marley family—of which Rita is the matriarch—has sought to support and spread Bob Marley’s message of love, harmony, and social justice.
| Mother’s Name | Child’s Name | Birth Date | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rita Marley | Sharon | November 23, 1964 | Adoptive Father |
| Cedella | August 23, 1967 | Biological Father | |
| David “Ziggy” | October 17, 1968 | Biological Father | |
| Stephen | April 20, 1972 | Biological Father | |
| Stephanie | August 17, 1974 | Adoptive Father | |
| Pat Williams | Robert “Robbie” | May 16, 1972 | Biological Father |
| Janet Hunt | Rohan | May 19, 1972 | Biological Father |
| Janet Bowen | Karen | 1973 | Biological Father |
| Lucy Pounder | Julian | June 4, 1975 | Biological Father |
| Anita Belnavis | Ky-Mani | February 26, 1976 | Biological Father |
| Cindy Breakspeare | Damian | July 21, 1978 | Biological Father |
| Yvette Crichton | Makeda | May 30, 1981 | Biological Father |
1. Sharon Marley (59 Years Old)
Sharon Marley (born November 23, 1964) is a Jamaican singer, dancer, and curator. She is the biological daughter of Rita Marley and was adopted by Bob Marley after he married Rita on February 10, 1966.
In the early 1980s, following Bob Marley’s death, Sharon, who began making music at 12, formed the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers in 1979 with three of her siblings (Ziggy, Stephen, and Cedella Marley). The group won three Grammy Awards. Her younger brother Ziggy was the group’s leader, with Stephen often co-writing songs and sharing lead vocals.
Sharon now serves the Caribbean business community as part of Ghetto Youth United, the support group for the Melody Makers, and as the curator of the Bob Marley Museum.
Her interests have also expanded to include caregiving and education. She is the managing director of the Total Care Learning Centre (TCLC) on Lady Musgrave Road in Kingston, Jamaica.
She also cares for her four children: Donisha, Inglemar, Matthew and Peter-Shane.
2. Cedella Marley Minto (57 Years Old)
After Bob Marley and Rita Marley had been married for a year and a half, they welcomed their first daughter, Cedella Marley, on August 23, 1967, in Kingston, Jamaica. Cedella was embedded in the music scene from a young age. She performed in the group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers alongside her siblings and appeared in films such as The Mighty Quinn, released in 1989, with Denzel Washington and Joey Breaker in 1993.
Following the disbandment of the Melody Makers in 2002, Cedella Marley Pinto took on the CEO role at her father’s record label, Tuff Gong International. She also plays a role in her family’s charitable organization, 1Love, and has initiated several successful clothing lines. In a notable fashion industry highlight, Cedella designed the uniforms for the Jamaican track and field team at the 2012 Olympics, including those worn by world champion Usain Bolt, in partnership with Puma.
In 2014, Cedella maintained her association with athletics by endorsing the Reggae Girlz, a women’s soccer club from Jamaica, via the Bob Marley Foundation. Her contribution was essential in keeping the squad from breaking up.
Cedella is currently the acting director of the Bob Marley Foundation, which uses community and educational projects to bring about constructive social change in Jamaica.
3. David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley (56 Years Old)
David Nesta ‘Ziggy’ Marley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 17, 1968, a year after his older sister, Cedella. He is recognized as the most well-known of Bob Marley’s children after his father. As the eldest son, Ziggy inherited his father Bob’s active lifestyle, which included a love for soccer and music during his adolescence.
He learned to play guitar and drums under his father’s guidance and began participating in Wailers’ recording sessions by age ten. Ziggy headed the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until its disbandment in 2002, releasing eight studio albums.
After the family band, he went on a solo and successful career. His debut album, “Dragonfly,“ released in April 2003, includes the hit single “True To Myself,” one of his most famous songs today. Like his father, Ziggy produces and releases all his music on his label, Tuff Gong Worldwide. He is an eight-time Grammy Award winner and has received a Daytime Emmy Award.
Curious Fact: In a 1988 interview with Melody Maker magazine, David revealed he became known as ‘Ziggy’ because of his admiration for David Bowie: “Me name David, but me big Bowie fan.”
4. Stephen Robert Nesta Marley (52 Years Old)
The youngest of Bob and Rita Marley’s children, Stephen Robert Nesta Marley, was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on April 20, 1972. At seven, he was an instrumentalist for the band Melody Makers, contributing vocals to a few songs and adding dancehall elements to the group’s sound.
As a solo artist and producer, Stephen has won eight Grammy Awards, including his work on his brother Damian Marley’s albums “Halfway Tree” and “Welcome to Jamrock.” His solo career has included noteworthy albums like “Mind Control” (2007), “Revelation Pt. 1” (2011), and “Revelation Pt. 2” (2016), all of which have achieved considerable acclaim and chart success.
Stephen Marley has been instrumental in producing songs for several singers in addition to his own work, including his siblings and well-known international performers like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. His production of “Chant Down Babylon,” a remix CD of his father’s compositions, gave Bob Marley’s classic songs contemporary sounds. In 2023, he released his latest album, “Old Soul.”
Now living in Miami Beach, Florida, Stephen Marley runs a private studio there. Sadly, his oldest son, Jo Mersa Marley, who was also a musician, died in December 2022. His children, Yohan and Mystic Marley are among the other family members who have continued the Marley tradition through the generations by continuing his musical career.
5. Robert “Robbie” Marley (52 Years Old)
Born on May 16, 1972, to Bob Marley and Pat Williams, Robert “Robbie” Marley has maintained a quiet profile compared to his siblings. Unlike many of Bob’s offspring, Robbie did not desire fame or a music career.
He once expressed that being Bob Marley’s son is a blessing, but he has generally stayed out of the spotlight. According to his Instagram bio, Robbie is a graphic artist who writes poetry.
He made a rare public appearance in the 2011 TV series Marley Africa Roadtrip, where he appeared as himself.
6. Rohan Anthony Marley (52 Years Old)
Due to an affair that occurred during Bob Marley’s marriage to Rita Marley, Rohan Marley was born on May 19, 1972, in Kingston, Jamaica, to Bob Marley and Janet Hunt. Incredibly, Rohan, Robert, and Stephen Marley were all born within a month of each other. After his father passed away in 1981, he briefly resided with his mother before settling in with his paternal grandmother, Cedella Booker.
After completing his studies at Miami Palmetto Senior High School in Florida in 1991, Rohan continued his education at the University of Miami School of Business. He displayed his athletic abilities while playing linebacker for the Miami Hurricanes football team, leading the defense with 95 tackles in the 1993 campaign.
Rohan made a name for himself as an entrepreneur despite not pursuing a career in music as his siblings did. In addition to his involvement with the Tuff Gong apparel brand and his family’s charity, 1Love, he launched Marley Coffee. His father’s passion for farming inspired this organic coffee company.
Rohan’s personal life has been notable for its complexities. On March 18, 1993, while a sophomore at the University of Miami, he married Geraldine Khawly, with whom he had two children: Eden (b. 1994) and Nico (b. 1995). Rohan started dating Lauryn Hill in 1996, and they have five kids together: Zion David (b. 1997), model Selah (b. 1998), singer-songwriter Joshua Omaru, known professionally as YG Marley (b. 2001), John Nesta (b. 2003), and Sara (b. 2008).
Rohan Marley and Lauryn Hill were together for a long time, but they never married legally and spent much of that time apart before splitting up in 2009. When Hill was sentenced to three months in prison for tax evasion in 2013, Rohan temporarily transferred custody of their children.
In 2019, he married Brazilian model Barbara Fialho, with whom he had a daughter named Maria, before divorcing the following year.
7. Karen Marley (51 Years Old)
Karen Marley is Bob Marley’s second biological daughter, and her mother is Janet Bowen. Karen was born in London in 1973 and raised in Jamaica by her great-grandparents before Rita Marley took care of her. She attended school with her sister Stephanie and grew up in Jamaica with the Marley family.
Currently a fashion designer, Karen has kept a low profile. On International Women’s Day in March 2022, she introduced Karen Marley, her eco-friendly clothing line. In an interview, she revealed that her heritage and family inspire her. Some of her siblings have occasionally served as models for her company.
8. Stephanie Marley (50 Years Old)
Rita and Owen ‘Ital Tacky’ Stewart, a former Jamaican soccer star, welcomed Stephanie Marley on August 17, 1974. After he adopted and entitled her to his estate, Stephanie became Bob Marley’s family.
In the late 1990s, Stephanie graduated from the University of Western Ontario in Canada with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. About a decade later, she co-founded the Marley Resort & Spa in Nassau, Bahamas, designing the interiors with her sister Cedella.
In 2024, Stephanie launched Wake Up Jamaica, a campaign to engage citizens in constitutional reforms inspired by her family’s activism legacy.
9. Julian Ricardo Marley (49 Years Old)
The only son of Bob Marley, born in the United Kingdom, is British Jamaican musician Julian Ricardo Marley, who was born June 4, 1975. Julian was raised by his mother, Lucy Pounder, and often visited Jamaica to see his brothers.
He learned to play the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard early on. In 1989, he co-founded Ghetto Youth International, a production firm, with his half-brothers Ziggy and Stephen Marley.
Julian Marley’s debut album, “Lion in the Morning,” was recorded at Kingston, Jamaica’s Tuff Gong Studios and published in 1996. Over his career, he has worked with many people. He contributed to Lauryn Hill’s critically praised album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” and collaborated with his brothers Damian and Stephen on the remix album, “Chant Down Babylon.”
Julian is also renowned for his charitable endeavors. To help impoverished neighborhoods, he actively supports the Ghetto Youths Foundation and participates in charity concerts. After the terrible earthquake in Haiti in 2010, he and his brother Kymani produced a charity event called “Miami for Haiti,” which raised money for recovery operations.
Julian’s fourth album, “As I Am,” was released in 2019 and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. In 2022, he co-wrote the highly regarded song “Say.” with Hasidic hip-hop musician Moshe Reuven. Julian’s first Grammy for best reggae album came in 2024, for “Colors of Royal.”
10. Ky-Mani Marley (48 Years Old)
Ky-Mani Marley, born on February 26, 1976, in Falmouth, Jamaica, is the son of Bob Marley and Jamaican table tennis champion Anita Belnavis. Bob Marley passed away when he was five years old. Four years later, he went to Miami with his mother.
In 2022, he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I have one memory of my father just being in the countryside, with him and my older brother Stephen,” he added, “I keep that memory very dear to my heart.”
Regarding his musical career, his musical influences included hip-hop, rock, and pop from American radio. Initially focused on sports, he pursued music, learning piano, guitar, and trumpet. His first album, “Like Father Like Son,” was released in 1996 after he caught the eye of a Jamaican producer who had previously collaborated with his father. He began his career as a rapper and DJ.
Since then, his album “Many More Roads” has earned him a Grammy nomination. He also starred in Shottas and One Love, two Jamaican movies.
11. Damian Robert Nesta “Jr. Gong” Marley (46 Years Old)
Damian Nesta, Robert “Jr. Gong,” is the son of Bob Marley and jazz musician Cindy Breakspeare. He was born on July 21, 1978. “Jr. Gong” refers to his father’s nickname, “Tuff Gong.”
Like some of Bob Marley’s other children, Damian Marley was born outside of his father’s marriage to Rita Marley. When his father died, he was just two years old.
Damian started a band called the Shephards when he was 13 years old, but it broke up in the early 1990s, so he decided to go solo.
In 1996, he released his debut album “Mr. Marley” through the family’s Tuff Gong label, with his brother Stephen co-producing. His second album, “Halfway Tree,” came out on September 11, 2001, and earned him a Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2002, when his brother Ky-Mani was also nominated.
Damian made history at the 2006 Grammys as the first reggae artist to win two awards in a single night, taking home Best Reggae Album for “Welcome to Jamrock” and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the title track. He became the first reggae artist to earn that award.
Additionally, he has worked with several well-known musicians, appearing on songs like Bruno Mars’ “Liquor Store Blues,” Jay-Z’s “Bam,” Mariah Carey’s “Cruise Control,” and Gwen Stefani’s “Now That You Got It.” He collaborated with Nas on the album “Distant Relatives” in 2010.
“Stony Hill”, his fourth solo album, was released in August 2016 and won Best Reggae Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
12. Makeda Jahnesta Marley (43 Years Old)
Makeda Jahnesta Marley, Bob Marley’s youngest child, was born to Yvette Crichton in Miami on May 30, 1981, only weeks after Bob Marley’s death. Unlike her half-siblings, she did not grow up with or around them. She attended high school and college in Pennsylvania and currently lives in Philadelphia.
In 2022, she launched a cannabis business in New Jersey. Her Instagram bio also highlights her roles as a DJ and motivational speaker. While Meredith Dixon’s book includes her as one of Bob Marley’s children, she is not listed on the official Bob Marley website.
