Norval Sinclair Marley and Cedella Malcolm gave birth to Robert Nesta Marley on February 6, 1945, at his maternal grandfather’s property in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. Norval Marley was born in Crowborough, East Sussex, England, and later moved to Clarendon Parish.
Norval claimed to have been a captain in the Royal Marines;[24] at the time of his marriage to Cedella Malcolm, an Afro-Jamaican who was 18 years old at the time, he was working as a plantation supervisor.
Bob Marley’s full name is Robert Nesta Marley, while other sources list his birth name as Nesta Robert Marley, citing a story about a Jamaican passport official who reversed Marley’s first and middle names when he was still a boy because Nesta sounded like a girl’s name.
Did Bob Marley have 13 kids?
No, Bob only had 12 children with different wives. The names of his children are listed below.
Sharon Marley
Rita Marley’s daughter from a previous relationship before her marriage to Bob is Sharon. He adopted her and gave her his surname, making Sharon his oldest child.
Sharon and three of her siblings made comprised the group. Between 1989 and 1998, they received three Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album.
Cedella Marley
Cedella is Bob and Rita’s second child, and she was named after her paternal grandmother. She is a skilled vocalist, like her parents, and is most known for overseeing the brands linked with her father’s name, such as Tuff, Gone, and Marley Natural.
She is a singer, author, businesswoman, and fashion designer for the “Catch A Fire” casual wear collection. She also manages her family’s several enterprises.
Cedella has also managed to balance her company with her music touring schedule while still being a wife and mother of three boys.
Ziggy Marley
Ziggy, whose true name is David Nesta, was born on October 17, 1968, in Kingston, Jamaica, to Bob and Rita. He is a musician and philanthropist, like some of his siblings.
As a solo artist, he has recorded at least 15 albums. His debut album was released in 2003, and four years later, he received a Grammy Award for his second album.
Stephen Marley
Stephen is Bob and Rita’s second eldest son, and he had the opportunity to perform on stage with his father when he was eight years old.
He became a musician as an adult, producing many of his siblings’ albums. He has eight Grammy Awards to his name, and in 2017, he launched Kaya Fest, an annual music festival.
Robert Marley
Robert Marley Jr., named after his father, prefers to go by Robbie to avoid confusion with Bob. He was born on May 16, 1972, and is Bob’s son with Pat Williams.
Robbie grew up with Bob and Rita and did not pursue a musical career, instead focusing on graphic arts.
Rohan Marley
Rohan is Bob’s son from a previous relationship with Janet Hunt. He was born on May 19, 1972, and does not play any instruments.
He was formerly married to hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill, with whom he had five children.
Rohan’s daughter accused him of ignoring her mother and bickering with her in her presence. On Instagram, he apologized to his daughter and expressed his love for her.
Stephanie Marley
Stephanie was born on August 17, 1974, to Bob and Rita. She, like her siblings, is not in the music industry and chooses to live a private life.
She does, however, work as an agent for a modeling talent agency and is involved in the modeling side of the entertainment industry.
Karen Marley
Karen was born in 1973, during the end of Bob’s relationship with Janet Bowen, which lasted from 1972 to 1973.
She grew raised in Jamaica like the other Marley siblings, but she avoided the music scene in favor of a career in fashion. She is a fashion designer and the owner of the label By Karen Marley.
Julian Marley
On June 4, 1975, Bob welcomed Julian from his relationship with Lucy Pounder. He was born in England and aspired to be a musician like his father.
He regularly works together with his siblings. Julian had one daughter, Caveri, who died at an early age from a brain tumor.
Ky-Mani Marley
Ky-Mani Belnavis was born on February 26, 1976, to Bob and Anita Belnavis, a table tennis champion.
He did not grow up in the Marley household, but he did work in the family’s entertainment industry.
He received a Grammy Award nomination for “Many More Roads” among his many recorded albums, including “Like Father Like Son,” “Radio,” “The Journey,” and others.
Damian Marley
Damian, nicknamed “Junior Gong” like his father, is Bob’s youngest son. On July 21, 1978, Bob had him with former beauty queen Cindy Breakspeare.
His debut record was dedicated to his father. The rapper received a Grammy for his second album, “Halfway Tree,” as well as Grammys for “Welcome to Jamrock” and “Stony Hill.”
Makeda Jahnesta
Makeda Jahnesta was born just days after her father died. On May 30, 1981, she was born to Yvette Crichton, making her Bob’s youngest child.
She gained headlines in June 2020 after supporting fellow Black Lives Matter protestors in Washington while giving a speech in the crowd.
She has a son named Kai and keeps her admirers up to date on his whereabouts via social media.
