David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 2002, with whom he released eight studio albums. After the disbandment, Ziggy launched a successful solo career, releasing eight solo studio albums on his own label, Tuff Gong Worldwide. Ziggy continues his father’s practice of recording and self-releasing all of his music. Marley is an eight-time Grammy Awardwinner and a Daytime Emmy Award recipient.

David Nesta Marley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 17, 1968. He grew up in Trenchtown, a poor neighborhood of Kingston, and in Wilmington, Delaware, where he attended elementary school for a few years. Ziggy grew up very active, playing soccer and running the mountains, a lifestyle passed on by his parents. As the oldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy grew up surrounded by music. He has 5 half brothers, one brother, and two sisters. He received guitar and drum lessons from his father and began sitting in on Wailers recording sessions by the age of ten.

In the earliest known record of his musical career, Marley performed as part of a singing group called The Seven Do Bees, made up of him and his classmates, and wherein he was given the stage name “Freddie Dic”. The name never stuck, however, and instead, David went on to become known as “Ziggy”, a nickname often reported to have been given to him by his father Bob Marley, meaning “little spliff”. However, Ziggy stated the following to Melody Maker magazine in 1988: “Me name David but me big Bowiefan. So at the time of the Ziggy Stardust album, me call meself Ziggy and now everyone do.”

During the late 1970s, Ziggy could also be seen alongside his brother Stephen at some of their father’s larger concerts around Jamaica and abroad. In 1978, the duo appeared on stage at the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston, and the following year at Reggae Sunsplash II in Montego Bay.