Background and career
Damian Robert Nesta Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican reggae singer. The youngest son of Bob Marley, he is the recipient of four Grammy Awards.
Early life, education and family Damian is the youngest son of legendary reggae singer Bob Marley. He is the only child born to Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, a Jamaican jazz singer crowned Miss World 1976. Like several of Bob's children, Damian was born out of wedlock and outside of Bob's marriage to singer Rita Marley. After seeing the film Damien – Omen II, which is about the coming of the Antichrist, one of Bob's last requests in Germany was to have Damian's name changed. "Damien being a devil... It was inappropriate for him as a Rastafarian to have a child with that name," Bob said and Damian's name was later changed. Damian was two years old when his father died. His nickname "Junior Gong" is derived from his father's nickname of "Tuff Gong".
Early releases (1992–2004) At the age of 13, Marley formed a musical group by the name of the Shepherds, which included the daughter of Freddie McGregor and son of Third World's Cat Coore. The group opened the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash festival. The band fell apart in the early 1990s, and Damian started his solo career. With the backing of his father's label, Tuff Gong, he released his 1996 debut album Mr. Marley, which surprised many who were unaccustomed to hearing a Marley deejaying rather than singing. Marley released his second studio album Halfway Tree. The name "Halfway Tree" comes from his mother Cindy Breakspeare being from the rich part of town, and his father Bob Marley coming from the poor part of town, thus him being "a tree halfway in between the 'rich' world and 'poor' world". Additionally, Halfway Tree is a well-known landmark that marks the cultural centre of Half-Way-Tree, the clock tower that stands where the historical eponymous cotton tree once stood is featured prominently behind Marley on the cover of the album.
The album was released on 11 September 2001 and received the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. It was co-produced by Damian Marley and his brother Stephen Marley, who had also produced Damian's debut album Mr. Marley.
How Damian Marley makes money
With the backing of his father's label, Tuff Gong, he released his 1996 debut album Mr.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
