Jo Mersa Grandson of Bob Marley Passes Away at 31
The Marleys are mourning the loss of a young member of their family today. The New York Post reports that Jo Mersa Marley, the grandson of legendary reggae musician Bob Marley, passed away lately. According to The Post, which reported a tweet by journalist Abka Fitz-Henley, Jo, who was of Jamaican-American descent and also a reggae singer, was discovered unresponsive in a vehicle.
According to an Instagram post by South Florida radio station WZPP, which was referenced by The New York Post, the singer of “Hurting Inside” died from an asthma attack.
The vocalist who sang “Burn It Down” spent a significant portion of his childhood in Jamaica. He then uprooted to Florida, where he would complete his secondary education.
The Post cites the Jamaica Observer as saying, “He later attended Miami Dade College to study studio engineering.”
“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 explained “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 cited an interview with Jo Mersa that appeared in the Jamaica Gleaner.
I have to live up to the legacy my father (Stephen Marley) has established by releasing music of substance, he continued.
His grandpa, Bob Marley, was instrumental in the development of Reggae. Hits like “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” “Is This Love,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” and “No Woman, No Cry” were among his most famous works.
According to The New York Post, he passed away in 1981 at the age of 36 from melanoma.
The Mucho humo singer reflected on the legacy of his famous grandfather, saying, “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.”