Bob Marley’s grandson and reggae artist Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley has died at the age of 31.
On Tuesday, WZPP Radio confirmed that he died unexpectedly from an asthma attack and was found unresponsive in his car.
Joseph Marley leaves behind his wife and daughter, according to the outlet.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid tribute to Joseph Marley on Twitter.
“This is truly sad news; sending strength to the Marley family at this time. I am deeply saddened by the news that artiste Joseph Marley, son of Reggae star, Stephen Marley and grand son of Reggae super star, Bob Marley has died,” he wrote in the caption of a video where Joseph Marley is seen performing.
This is truly sad news; sending strength to the Marley family at this time.
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) December 28, 2022
Repost/video credit @Babsy_grange :
I am deeply saddened by the news that artiste Joseph Marley, son of Reggae star, Stephen Marley and grand son of Reggae super star, Bob Marley has died. pic.twitter.com/OsXQKYOKEi
In an interview with Reggaeville in 2021, Joseph Marley spoke about his famous grandfather and keeping his memory alive.
Reggae artist Bob Marley died in 1981 at the age of 36 from melanoma, a type of skin cancer, according to The New York Post.
“I mean, you would hear special reasonings, of course, you’ll hear a lot of memories and reminiscing. Family-wise, you would hear memories from my father or from our uncles, you would see them posting pictures or even just speaking to us in an environment talking about ‘I remember when Daddy did this or when he came from Africa or when Daddy did this interview or when he was in Italy,'” he shared.
He also spoke about the impact that Bob Marley had on him and the world.
“So, 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,” he said.