David "Ziggy" Marley (born October 17, 1968, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican musician, the oldest son of Rita and Bob Marley. He learned how to play guitar and drums from his father, Bob Marley, the legendary roots rock reggae singer. He was born David Marley but nicknamed Ziggy in reference to British glam rocker David Bowie and his 1972 album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
In 1979, Ziggy and his siblings, Cedella, Stephen and Sharon, made their recording debut with their father, "Children Playing in the Streets". The Melody Makers, as the group came to be known, played occasionally for several years, including at their father's funeral in 1981. Their debut LP was Play the Game Right, which was a very pop-oriented album, earning Ziggy some derision from critics. The band's label, EMI, wanted to market Ziggy as a solo act, and so the Melody Makers moved to Virgin Records, where they recorded Conscious Party (1988, produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth). The album was critically and popularly successful, as was One Bright Day (1989) and Jahmekya (1991).
As the 1990s continued, the Melody Makers' sales slowly declined, beginning with Joy and Blues (1993), Free Like We Want to Be (1995) . Ziggy had become politically active by this time, working with the United Nations and creating a record label called Ghetto Youths Crew. A solo album, Dragonfly was released on April 15, 2003.
He voiced a Rasta jellyfish in the 2004 film Shark Tale, and also collaborated with Sean Paul on a cover of his father's song "Three Little Birds" for the soundtrack. The cover was the title song for the film, although gained less exposure than "Car Wash" by Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott due to not being released as a single.
Ziggy also sang the theme song for the popular PBS children's show "Arthur". In addition to his work in 2004 he also decided to marry a VP at William Morris Agency.
Year
Title
Chart Positions
Album
US Modern Rock
1988
"Tumblin' Down"
#5
Conscious Party
1989
"Look Who's Dancing"
#2
One Bright Day
1991
"Kozmik" (with The Melody Makers)
#6
Jahmekya
Download sample of The Chieftains and Ziggy Marley covering Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"
