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Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers
Laboring under the pressures of living up to his father Bob's musical legacy, David "Ziggy" Marley -- backed by the Melody Makers, a band of his siblings -- has enjoyed quite a bit of success while helping further the widespread appeal of reggae stateside. Nicknamed for his idol, David Bowie (aka Ziggy Stardust), Ziggy was sitting in with Bob even before he was a teenager, and he and the Melody Makers subsequently performed at the elder Marley's 1981 funeral.
Ziggy and the group -- Cedelia, Stephen and half-sister Sharon -- recorded two albums while in their teens. However, it wasn’t until the third, 1988's Conscious Party, that the band finally gained recognition in America. Produced by Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, the album featured the hit "Tomorrow People," won a Grammy and established Ziggy -- billed separately for the first time -- as a star. The Melody Makers also won a Grammy for the album One Bright Day the following year, a feat they'd repeat four albums later in 1997 with the acclaimed Fallen Is Babylon. The group's 1999 outing, Spirit Of Music, abandoned the pop-friendly textures of past efforts to pursue a more spare, acoustic sound.
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