The Newport Yachting Center event venue and marina announces that multi-Grammy award winner, “Ziggy Marley – Wild & Free Tour”, will be kicking off the 15^th Annual Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series on Friday, June 29. 

Tickets are $42 for standard seating or $62 for preferred seating and will be available for purchase at 10:00 a.m. this coming Tuesday, February 14^th.  Those interested can purchase and print tickets at home by visiting www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or by calling the Newport Yachting Center Box Office at (401) 846-1600. 

This headliner announcement is the first in what will be an expanded 2012 Sunset Music Series through the summer with more concerts planned than ever before.  The second addition to the line-up is scheduled to be announced this Monday, February 13th.

The eldest son of reggae legend, Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley was born in 1968 in Trenchtown, Jamaica.  He began his musical career in 1979 playing with his father and his siblings on “Children Playing in the Streets” and then went on to earn five Grammy awards, first with his siblings in the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and then as a solo artist.  Last year, Marley marked his thirty-year career with a release of his first graphic novel, MarijuanaMan and his album, Wild and Free, on his self-owned record label, Tuff Gong Worldwide.

“Knowing that Newport Harbor will be buzzing this June for the America’s Cup World Series, we felt we needed a sizzler act like Ziggy Marley to kick-off the Sunset Music Series,” said Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager of the Newport Yachting Center.  “We’ve tried to secure Ziggy for many years and are thrilled he’ll be bringing his reggae party to Newport.  This is just the first of what promises to be an expanded lineup of premier acts to hit our stage throughout the summer.” 

Palmieri added that if Ziggy Marley concert-goers are still hungry for more reggae music, they should save the date of Saturday, Aug. 11, to enjoy a full day and night of jammin' at the Third Annual Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival at the Newport Yachting Center.

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers released their debut album, Play the Game Right, in 1985.  After cutting several more albums, the band moved to Virgin records in 1988 and recorded the record Conscious Party which featured the hit songs, “Tomorrow People” and “Tumblin’ Down” and won the group its first Grammy award.  They followed that up with five albums in the 1990s, two of which scored Grammy nods, One Bright Day and Fallen is Babylon.

 In 2003, Marley struck out on his own and recorded the critically acclaimed, Dragonfly.  He also covered the Cars’ song, “Drive” for the Adam Sandler film 50 First Dates.  Ziggy came into his own as a solo artist in 2006, winning his fourth career Grammy and his first as a solo artist with the album, Love Is My Religion. The year 2009 saw Marley win yet his fifth Grammy award, but his first in the children’s area.  Family Time featured appearances by several members of his family as well as notable guests, Jack Johnson, Paul Simon and Willie Nelson, among others.

In 2001, Marley became more politically active, serving as a Goodwill Youth Ambassador for the United Nations and creating a label back in Jamaica called Ghetto Youths to help the country’s children.  He continues to be active in the Bob Marley Foundation’s causes, including Africa Unite, and created his own Foundation, U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment) in 2007 to help underprivileged children go to school.   In 2010, Marley and his brothers Rohan and Robbie, traveled to South Africa to film a documentary with famed director, David Alexanian, during the historic occasion of the World Cup’s first matches in Africa.

Marley has targeted much of his side work to children, contributing the song “Give a Little Love” to the Disney album, For Our Children, in 1991 with proceeds going to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation; singing the song “Small People” from his album, Jamehka, on Sesame Street and performing “Believe in Yourself” for the children’s television program, Arthur, in 1996.  He has also performed at the Whitehouse Easter Egg Roll, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and as a voiceover of a Cheshire cat on the children’s series Wonder Pets.

For more information on the Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series, visit www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or contact Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager at the Newport Yachting Center, 4 Commercial Wharf in Newport, at (401) 846-1600, Ext. 222.