Stephen Marley
Artist. Reggae, revival
- Active
- 1979-present
- Sunrise
- April 20, 1972, Wilmington, Delaware
Stephen Robert Nesta Marley is a singer and producer, the second son of Bob and Rita Marley, and, tied with Ziggy, the most decorated of the Marley children.
He first appeared on record at six, with Ziggy, and grew up touring as part of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers with his brother and his sisters Sharon and Cedella, playing guitar and percussion and singing as well as working on the production of the group's albums, including Conscious Party (1988), One Bright Day (1989) and Fallen Is Babylon (1997).
The production work is what set him apart. In 1999 he assembled Chant Down Babylon, which set his father's vocals against tracks recorded with Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Guru, Busta Rhymes, MC Lyte, Chuck D, the Roots, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. He produced Damian Marley's Halfway Tree (2001) and Welcome to Jamrock (2005), and he runs Ghetto Youths International with Damian and Julian.
His solo records came late. Mind Control (2007) won Best Reggae Album at the 2008 Grammy ceremony, Mind Control Acoustic won in 2010, and Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life (2011) won in 2012; Les Clarke heard on Mind Control a "stunning vocal resemblance to his dad; even more so than big brother, Ziggy." Revelation Pt. 2: The Fruit of Life followed in 2016. Old Soul (2023), cut mostly at a studio he built on a family farm in Florida during the pandemic, is an acoustic record with Bob Weir, Eric Clapton, Jack Johnson, Buju Banton, Ziggy and Damian, and it was entered in the Grammys' global music category rather than the reggae one.
His first eight Grammys break down as three for his own albums, two as producer of Damian's, and three as a member of the Melody Makers; the ninth came as an executive producer of Bob Marley: One Love at the 2025 ceremony. In 2024 he toured with Ziggy, Julian, Ky-Mani and Damian as the Marley Brothers, the first time in two decades that all five had gone out together.
Last updated November 5, 2026
Connections
- Bob Marley (parent)
- Ziggy Marley (brother)
- Cedella Booker (grandparent)
- Lee "Scratch" Perry (producer)
- Damian Marley (artist)
- Buju Banton (collaborator)
- Kabaka Pyramid (collaborator)
- Agent Sasco (collaborator)
- Lee Jaffe (toured with)
- Skip Marley (collaborator)
Notes
- In 2024 DancehallMag counted eight Grammys each for Stephen and Ziggy, with Stephen holding the most for Best Reggae Album and Ziggy "the most individual wins among his siblings." Dani Mallick, "The Marley Brothers Announce First Tour In 20 Years," DancehallMag, April 15, 2024, https://www.dancehallmag.com/2024/04/15/news/the-marley-brothers-announce-first-tour-in-20-years.html. The Recording Academy now lists Stephen with nine wins, the ninth, shared with Ziggy, Cedella and others, for the Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack album (2025). "Stephen Marley," artist page, Grammy.com, accessed October 5, 2026, https://www.grammy.com/artists/stephen-marley/9331.
- The Rough Guide says that at the close of the 1970s Ziggy, Cedella, Sharon and Stephen "formed the Melody Makers and cut a single for the Tuff Gong label, 'Children Playing In the Streets.'" Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton, The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd ed. (London: Rough Guides, 2004), 359. Wikipedia says he began "in 1979, a seven-year-old." "Stephen Marley," Wikipedia, accessed October 5, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Marley.
- Wikipedia describes his role in the group as "an instrumentalist, songwriter, and co-producer," with occasional lead vocals. "Stephen Marley." The Recording Academy credits him on the Melody Makers' wins for Conscious Party (1989), One Bright Day (1990) and Fallen Is Babylon (1998). "Stephen Marley," Grammy.com.
- "Stephen Marley."
- The Recording Academy credits him on Damian Marley's Best Reggae Album wins for Halfway Tree (2002) and Welcome to Jamrock (2006). "Stephen Marley," Grammy.com. Wikipedia says he produced Damian's first three albums. "Stephen Marley."
- Wikipedia describes the Ghetto Youths Crew label as created by Ziggy, Stephen, Julian and Damian, and the Ghetto Youths Foundation as "founded and directed by Stephen, Damian, and Julian Marley." "Ghetto Youths Crew," Wikipedia, accessed October 5, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghetto_Youths_Crew.
- The Recording Academy lists his Best Reggae Album wins for Mind Control (2008), Mind Control - Acoustic (2010) and Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life (2012). "Stephen Marley," Grammy.com.
- Les Clarke, "Mind Control (2007)," SoulTracks, accessed November 5, 2026, https://soultracks.com/review/mind-control-2007/.
- "Stephen Marley."
- Meschino says the album was "primarily recorded during the pandemic inside a garage on a family farm in Florida," and that Marley "recruited Bob Weir, Jack Johnson, Eric Clapton, and his own siblings"; Buju Banton appears on "Thanks We Get (Do Fi Dem)." Patricia Meschino, "Living Legends: Stephen Marley On 'Old Soul,' Being A Role Model & The Bob Marley Biopic," Grammy.com, November 30, 2023, https://www.grammy.com/news/living-legends-stephen-marley-interview-old-soul-bob-marley-movie/.
- Yasmine Peru reports that "whereas Stephen slid into the World Music category, Julian stayed in the reggae music category." Yasmine Peru, "Contractor predicts Grammy nominees for Best Reggae Album," Jamaica Gleaner, November 8, 2024, http://past.jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20241108/contractor-predicts-grammy-nominees-best-reggae-album.
- This is the breakdown DancehallMag gave in 2024. Mallick, "Marley Brothers Announce First Tour." The Recording Academy has since added a ninth win, for the Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack album at the 2025 ceremony. "Stephen Marley," Grammy.com.
- Mallick calls the Legacy Tour, from September 5 to October 5, 2024, the brothers' "first joint tour since 2004." Mallick, "Marley Brothers Announce First Tour."
