Ziggy Marley

Bob Marley's first son, David "Ziggy" Marley, was born in Kingston, Jamaica on October 17, 1968.

NIcknamed Ziggy by his father for "little spliff," Marley took his first puff of marijuana when he was just nine years old. 

January 1994 High Times

"I was very young, too young," he recently told Reader's Digest. "I wouldn't have let myself do it in my father's place. But it was a part of our religion - we're one of those ancient cultures with traditions that modern society wouldn't accept.

"When I first consciously decided to smoke weed as a teenager, I approached it from a spiritual point of view. It's given me more insight into myself and into my spirituality, and I use it as a form of influence when reading scriptures and books about spirituality. I use it to give me a different perspective so that my mind isn't in the same place that it normally is. I turn into a shaman. It was never just about getting high - I educated myself about it in terms of how Yogis in India use it and I went down that route with it, I didn't go down the fun route."

The Melody Makers (from left): Cedella, Stephen, Sharon and Ziggy

When he was 11, Marley formed the Melody Makers with his older sisters Cedella and Sharon and younger brother Stephen. His first big taste of success came in 1988 with the release of Conscious Party, which hit No. 23 on the album charts and spawned a hit single, "Tomorrow People" (No. 39). It won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1989.

The followup, One Bright Day (No. 26, 1989), also took the Best Reggae Album Grammy in 1990.

After the Melody Makers disbanded in 2001, Marley launched his solo career. He's released seven albums since 2003, including Grammy winners Love Is My Religion (2007), Family Time (2010) and Fly Rasta (2015). His brothers Stephen and Damian have also netted several Grammy awards.

Marley's latest albums are 2020's More Family Time (2020) and Rebellion Rises (2018).

He's married to Orly Agai. They have four children. He has three additional children from previous relationships. Marley and Agai live in Los Angeles.

 

Ziggy Marley's Ganja Song Discography

• "Urb-An Music" on One Bright Day, 1989

• "Herbs an' Spices" on Jahmekya, 1991

• "African Herbsman" on Joy and Blues, 1993

• "In the Flow" on Free Like We Want to B, 1995

• "In the Flow" on Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML, 1995

• "One Good Spliff" on Spirit of Music, 1999

• "Wild and Free" (featuring Woody Harrelson) on Wild and Free, 2011

• "Marijuanaman" on Ziggy Marley (2016)

 

More Ziggy Links

Wins 2017 Grammy Award

Celebrates Bob Marley 75 

 

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Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom

Publisher of CelebStoner.com, former editor of High Times and Freedom Leaf and co-author of Pot Culture and Reefer Movie Madness.