Julian Marley

Julian Ricardo Marley (born 4 June 1975) is a British Jamaican reggae musician. He is the son of reggae artist and performer Bob Marley, and Lucy Pounder. Julian is known to be a Grammy award nominated, reggae singer, musician, songwriter, producer and humanitarian. He follows into his father’s footsteps and is a devout Rastafarian who uses his music to inspire his life and spirituality.

Julian's childhood was spent between England and Jamaica. Musical from an early age, he learned to play the keyboard, drums, bass, guitar, among other instruments. Along with his brothers Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley, he became involved with Ghetto Youth International, a production company, in 1989. Julian released a solo album, Lion in the Morning, in 1996 and embarked on a world tour. He and his brother Damian Marley toured with the Lollapalooza festival in 1997. His second album, A Time And Place, was released in 2003. In 2008, the Jamaican government invited Julian and the Uprising band to represent Jamaica and perform at the Beijing Olympics. His third album, Awake (released in 2009), was nominated for a prestigious Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category. In 2011 he participated in Mawazine festival that took place at Rabat, Morocco. In January 2013 he performed a reggae concert in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In August 2013 he performed at the Fêtes de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland.

He is the only son from Bob Marley that was born in the U.K. Julian was raised by his mother, Lucy Pounder in England and would make frequent trips to Jamaica to visit his brothers. Growing up, he was surrounded by a musical atmosphere, which helped him quickly develop and adopt into the musical lifestyle. At an early age, he taught himself how to master the bass, drums, guitar, and keyboards. By the young age of 5, Julian recorded his first demo at the family home of the Marley’s in Kingston, Jamaica. While growing up, Julian was living in between England and Jamaica and eventually he found himself creating a home base in Miami, Florida where the family owned their own studio called The Lions Den. Although Julian was a Jamaican at heart, he is said to credit his British upbringing as a major influence on his music. Julian reflects “I feel privileged to be part of the musical roots that my father, Bob Marley, laid in England. I look forward to relate the cultural gifts and musical creations that he has bestowed on me.”

In 1993, Julian moved to Jamaica to be closer to his brothers. By making that move, it inspired the Marley Brothers to form their own musical path. They created the group called the “Ghetto Youths Crew” which was formed by Julian, Stephen, Damian, and Kymani Marley. The project showed to be such a success that the brothers found themselves touring the United States for 3 years. Julian Marley is ranked higher in the conscious movement of music than majority of the reggae artists recognized today. Julian has built a challenging reputation by exceeding musical genres. Julian also known as “Ju Ju” Marley will remain a spiritual soul with a musical visionary that he will embark in an international mission. Julian stated, “I do not plan the next step, I just continue on with Jah Works and somehow things will just come together naturally that way.”

In 1996, Julian released his debut album titled “Lion in the Morning.” That first album helped his launch into the public eye. The album was recorded at Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica. Also known to be the newly renovated Marley Music Studio at Hope Road. That was the same recording studio where his father Bob Marley created some of his most well-known work. Julian created “Lion in the Morning” to reflect on his roots and heritage which he is very proud of. The album features a wide range of popular musicians from Owen “Dreddie” Reid, Earl Chinna Smith, Tyron Downie, sibling Stephen Marley, Cedella Marley, and Sharon Marley just to name a few. The record was followed by a successful international tour with The Uprising. Some of the tour stops from his tour were Jamaica’s Sumfest and Sunsplash Show, Marley Magic family performance at Central Park Summer Stage Concert Series in New York, and also territories like Brazil, Japan, and Mexico. Along with many accomplishments that year, Julian also got the opportunity to work with his brother Damian at the Lollapalooza Tour.

During these times he had in Jamaica, he studied a lot of legendary veterans that he looked up to like Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Earl “Wire” Lindo, Tyrone Downie, and Earl Smith all which inspired the song-bird. Julian wrote two un-released songs at this time called “Uprising” and “What They Did Wrong” in response to the accident of his companion which is also the Wailers drummer, Carlton Barrett’s, murder outside of his home in Jamaica. Subsequently, he formed a reggae band called The Uprising, which was inspired from his song, made up of young Jamaican musicians. The Uprising and Julian would go on to open up for his famous brother Ziggy Marley and his band, The Melody Makers. He also got the chance to perform with the Wailers, which included Carlton Barrett’s son who played the drums. Julian contributed to a vast range of musical elements on Lauryn Hill’s album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill which became an award winning album. They recorded the album in Tuff Gong Records in Jamaica while Julian played the guitar on some tracks. During 1999, Julian went back to the studio to with alongside his brothers Damian and Stephen and started to produce the platinum selling remix album, Chant Down Babylon, which had various rock and hip-hop artists covering Bob Marley’s and The Wailers songs.

Julian Marley is a huge humanitarian and continues to build charitable missions and still contributes to the Ghetto Youths Foundation in the spirit of his father, Bob Marley. He enjoys giving back to the youths in various communities whether it is playing with the children at the football fields in London or offering his free time with benefit concerts. In February, 2010 Julian and his brother Kymani Marley produced a “Miami for Haiti” benefit show which raised money towards the Haitian relief efforts alongside the Ghetto Youths Foundation by their side.

Julian Marley was only 13 years old when he traveled to Israel for the first time in 1988. Julian views himself as a very religious man who follows the faith of Rastafari and Christianity. He was in the country to perform and he states, “it was spiritually uplifting” to be able to see where Christ came from. Many of the Marley family have visited Jerusalem before but this was the first time for Julian being invited for the first time to perform at the Barby Club in Tel Aviv during his global tour. Julian didn’t have any problems at all performing in Israel because he wanted to tackle issues in a different way while during that time there were many boycotts in the country. He states “It’s great to travel all around the world because there is no place that the message of love is not needed.”Marley believes and expressed good vibes and intentions. He is always speaking of spreading the message of love through his music. Julian believes the importance to travel the world and spread love through his religion. While he traveled through Europe, he used his music to be an antidote to some of the hatred and terrorism that has occurred there.

Julian and his brothers Damian and Stephen officially incorporated Ghetto Youths International Inc., which is owned by Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley in 2002. The label allowed all the brothers to work closely with each other on musical collaborations. This also allowed them to produce and release various works featuring many artists to include their own material for the Ghetto Youths imprint. It successfully carried on the Marley tradition, which lets music communicate to a global audience.

The following year, Julian got the opportunity to unite and perform with all his brothers at the Roots Rock Reggae Festival in the United States. Along with the Marley family they also went to perform at the “Africa Unite” in Ethiopia in 2005, in Ghana in 2006, and Jamaica in 2008. With the invitation of the Jamaican government, The Uprising and Julian Marley performed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China and celebrated with Usain Bolt, a Gold medal-winner runner from Jamaica.

• Uprising (Good People) (1991)
• Acorn Arts (1995)
• Mr. Marley* (1995)
• Lion in the Morning (1996)
• A Time & Place (2003)
• Systems (2003)
• Awake (2009)
• Violence In the Street (2011)