Ziggy Marley

When you carry the name of the world's most widely recognized reggae musician and your own nickname literally means “a small joint,” is there anything to do but follow in your father's musical footsteps? David “Ziggy” Marley was only 9 years old when he and his younger siblings made their recording debut with father Bob Marley on his number “Children Playing in the Streets.” Today Ziggy Marley is a reggae superstar in his own right, and the 43-year-old musician carries on both his father's name and vocation.<P> Marley began recording with his band, the Melody Makers, in 1981, and record sales held steady well into the 1990s. In the new century, Marley began working with the United Nations, formed his own record label, Ghetto Youths Crew, and in 2003 released <i>Dragonfly</i>, his first solo album. Since then he has worked with a wide variety of artists, including Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and Paul McCartney. The four-time Grammy winner has also recorded children's albums and created a number of philanthropic organizations, including Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE), which helps children in Jamaica and Ethiopia, and is an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, which provides free musical instruments to public school children in the United States.