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Bob Marley and Rita's son Ziggy Marley opened up about his parents' marriage and how Rita gave Bob a foundation to achieve stardom.
Ziggy told People, "They really complement each other in that way. You need someone like that by your side. You can't do it alone. You could never do it alone." "My mom is the backbone of everything. Without her, none of this would've been happening. My father's career wouldn't be what it is." Rita, a singer and songwriter, met Bob when she was 17 and he was 19. They married in 1966. She sang as a backup vocalist alongside her husband, and they have three children together: Cedella, 56, Ziggy, 55, and Stephen, 51. Despite Bob's affairs with other women, which resulted in seven children, Rita was unconcerned, telling PEOPLE in 1984, "It gives me more love for Bob to have him hand these legacies down to me. I was never mingled in the other women's affairs. I was always his very special one. When God puts you together, you remain together no matter what happens." According to Ziggy, his parents grew "up together from nothing," establishing something that went beyond their physical tie. "They had more than a physical connection," he said. "They had a spiritual connection, and that's the deepest kind of connection you can have." Rita is presently working as a producer on the film Bob Marley: 'One Love,' which will be released on February 14 and stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the musician. Ziggy and Cedella both produce, and his wife Orly is an executive producer. Since the 'Redemption Song' singer died of cancer in 1981, the family has remained a cornerstone of the Marley clan. Ziggy has a daughter Judah, sons Gideon, Abraham and Isaiah from his former relationship with Orly, as well as a son Bambaata and daughters Justice and Zuri from previous relationships. "He would've loved being a grandpa, he loved children. We grew up in a big family, so children were always around. He would be a very loving grandfather," said Ziggy. "I see a little bit of something of him [in them] every now and again. It's lovely to see. It's joyful. One of my sons is like him. He's a bit like my father, just like my father. He's a boy just like Bob." He continued, "When we come together as a family, there's an energy there. The grandkids get a piece of him through us. They see how we are and can maybe imagine, 'Alright, that's maybe how Grandpa was.' Anytime we get together is honoring our whole ancestry." (ANI)
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