Bob Marley is the father of 12 children. What to know about his kids

Bob Marley's name is synonymous with reggae and service, two of his life's works that live on in his children.

The singer's biopic, "Bob Marley: One Love," opened in theaters Feb. 14 and paints a picture of what his life was like in the late 1970s before his death in 1981 at age 36 from malignant melanoma.

The "Jamming" singer is survived by 12 children and his widow, Rita Marley, with whom he raised five kids.

Keep reading to learn more about Bob Marley's kids and their mothers.

How many kids did Bob Marley have?

The "One Love" singer had 12 children and about half of them pursued music, too.

Who are the mothers of Bob Marley's kids

He had his three oldest children, Cedella Marley, Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley, with his widow, Rita Marley, in 1967, 1968 and 1972, respectively. Bob Marley also adopted two of her kids, Sharon Marley, whom Rita Marley had in 1964 before marrying the singer, and Stephanie Marley, born in 1974. Rita Marley’s sixth child, Serita Stewart, was born in 1985, after Marley’s death.

Bob Marley also had Rohan Marley with Janet Hunt and Robbie Marley with Pat Williams in 1972. The reggae legend had Karen Marley the next year with Janet Bowen and Julian Marley in 1975 with Lucy Pounder.

In 1976, Ky-Mani Marley was born to the singer and Anita Belnavis, a table tennis champion in Jamaica. Two years later, in 1978, Damian Marley was born to Cindy Breakspeare, a jazz musician and model who was crowned Miss World in 1976.

Lastly, Bob Marley had Makeda Jahnesta in 1981 with Yvette Crichton.

Bob Marley's kids in order

Sharon Marley, 1964

Rita Marley's eldest child, Sharon Marley, whom her husband adopted, was born in 1964. She followed in her father's footsteps of reggae, winning three Grammys in her career on projects with her little sister Cedella Marley and little brothers Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley. They landed their first Grammy for best reggae recording for "Conscious Party" in 1989.

The following year, they won the same honor for "One Bright Day." In 1998, they won best reggae album for "Fallen Is Babylon." Sharon Marley released the EP "Steppah" in 2024.

Cedella Marley, 1967

Cedella Marley, whose mother is Rita Marley, has three Grammys with her siblings. She helped produce the new “Bob Marley: One Love” biopic about her dad.

Ziggy Marley, 1968

Ziggy Marley, whose mother is Rita Marley, was also a producer on his dad's biopic and won his first three Grammys with his siblings. He went on to win five more Grammys, four of which are for best reggae album.

He told TODAY.com in an interview that his father's legacy was all about “being a good human (and) being ... someone who is of service to others.”

“Not a selfish person — (he’s) a good example for all of us as human beings going into sacrifice for the betterment of the community and the people,” he added.

Stephen Marley, April 1972

Stephen Marley, whose mother is Rita Marley, is currently on tour with his little brother Damian Marley. Stephen Marley's first career Grammys were with his siblings and he also has five more, all of which are for best reggae album.

Robbie Marley, May 16, 1972

Robbie Marley, whose mother is Pat Williams, is "a graphic artist who also writes poetry," his Instagram bio says. He made an appearance in the 2011 TV series "Marley Africa Roadtrip" as himself.

Rohan Marley, May 19, 1972

Rohan Marley, whose mother is Janet Hunt, played football at the University of Miami and later played in the Canadian Football League for the Ottawa Rough Riders. He is an entrepreneur, founding Marley Coffee in 2009 and pitching in with his family's charitable organization 1Love.

"Bob Marley dreamt of one day putting his passion of music into farming," Marley Coffee's website says. "Through his son Rohan Marley, that dream was finally brought to life."

Karen Marley, 1973

Karen Marley, whose mother is Janet Bowen, owns an eponymously named clothing collection and some of her siblings sometimes pose as models for her.

Stephanie Marley, 1974

Stephanie Marley, whose mother is Rita Marley and who Bob Marley adopted, graduated from Western University in London, Ontario Canada with a bachelor's in psychology. She's worked with the Bob Marley Museum and the Bob Marley Foundation. She is currently the director of her mother’s organization, the Rita Marley Foundation.

Stephanie Marley told her alma mater in 2015 that she was raised to serve “our brothers, our neighbors, even the man on the street.”

“It’s a way of life. That’s the way we were raised,” she said. “I strongly believe the fame my parents earned, the success they have achieved, is because they’re gifted with kindness. I think Bob’s true purpose was — all the work, all his music — for him to achieve that level."

Julian Marley, 1975

Julian Marley, whose mother is Lucy Pounder, won the best reggae album Grammy in 2024 for "Colors Of Royal." He has released several albums over the years.

He told The Guardian Nigeria in 2020 how he's found his own lane in the genre that his father popularized.

“You can’t do twice as much; you have to do what you can do,” he said. “You have to do what you are supposed to do, (because) everyone has a mission. Everyone has something to do.”

Ky-Mani Marley, 1976

Ky-Mani Marley, whose mother is Anita Belnavis, is also an artist. He was nominated for best reggae album at the 2002 Grammys for "Many More Roads," but his brother Damian Marley won the award that year.

Ky-Mani was just a kid when his father died in 1981. He told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2022 that he only has "one memory" of Bob Marley.

“I have one memory of my father just being in the countryside, with him and my older brother Stephen,” he said. “I keep that memory very dear to my heart.”

Damian Marley, 1978

Damian Marley, whose mother is Cindy Breakspeare, has five Grammys, four of which are for best reggae album. He released his new single "Quien Dijo Miedo," with Kevin Florez and Kingston Florez, earlier this month.

Makeda Jahnesta, 1981

Makeda Jahnesta Marley, whose mother is Yvette Crichton, is the youngest child of Bob Marley. She was born just weeks after he died.

She owns a cannabis business that was approved in New Jersey in 2022. She is a DJ and a motivational speaker, her Instagram bio says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com