The world is mourning another great loss in the music industry. Jo Mersa Marley, the grandson of music legend Bob Marley, passed away at the age of 31 on Tuesday. The cause of the Jamaican-American singer’s death is yet to be revealed.
Jo Mersa is the son of Grammy Award-winning music artist Stephen Marley. His death was first reported in a tweet by journalist Abka Fitz-Henley who confirmed that the artist was found lifeless in his vehicle.
Reggae Artist Jo Mersa Marley Had A Promising Career
Jo Mersa Marley was born on 1991 in Jamaica, and at the age of 11, his family moved to Miami. He attended Palmetto High School and Miami Dade College to pursue studio engineering. Born from a family of artists, Jo Mersa has been exposed to music since childhood. His father Stephen, 50, and his grandfather Bob, who died in 1981 at the age of 36, greatly influenced his career choice.
The late young artist started writing his own compositions in middle school and released his first single, “My Girl” in 2010, a collaboration with his cousin Daniel Bambaata Marley. Jo Mersa produced his first-ever EP in 2014 with the title Comfortable, and last year his second, Eternal.
In his interview with Reggaeville in 2021, Jo Mersa talked about his grandfather’s influence on the Reggae community:
“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.”
Jo Mersa also shared that he is one of the new generations of Marley and plans to do something new that would set him apart from his other musician family members while remaining true to his roots.
The World Mourns The Loss Of A Legend In The Making
Many fans and friends mourned over the untimely passing of Jo Mersa. For them, he is one of the hidden gems in the music industry and is a huge loss to the Marley clan. Several famous Jamaican personalities offered their sympathy through heartfelt social media posts.
Mark J. Golding, a Jamaican politician, said in his tweet: “I’ve just learned of the tragic loss of Joseph ‘Jo Mersa’ Marley. A talented young reggae artiste, son of Stephen Marley & grandson of Bob Marley at only 31 yrs old.”
Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, also offered a sincere message: “My heartfelt sympathies to Joseph’s friends and associates and to the Reggae music fraternity and fans everywhere.”
Indeed, a tragic loss to the Reggae community and music industry, Jo Mersa Marley is survived by his wife and daughter.
Source: People, Reggaeville
