Jimmy Cliff, one of the most prominent and cherished figures in reggae music, has passed away at the age of 81.
A star since the 1960s, he played a pivotal role in bringing the sound of Jamaica to a global audience through hits such as Wonderful World, Beautiful People, and You Can Get It If You Really Want.
His leading role as a gun-toting rebel in the 1972 crime drama The Harder They Come is a cornerstone of Jamaican cinema, credited with introducing reggae to America.
Cliff’s wife, Latifa Chambers, announced his passing in a statement on Instagram.
“It is with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” she wrote.
“I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists, and colleagues who have shared his journey with him.
“To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his entire career.
“Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will honour your wishes.”
Her message was also signed by their children, Lilty and Aken.
Born James Chambers in 1944, Cliff grew up as the eighth of nine children in dire poverty in the parish of St. James, Jamaica.
Blessed with a sweet, mellifluous voice, he began singing at his local church at the age of six.
By the age of 14, he had moved to Kingston and adopted the surname Cliff to express the heights he aimed to reach.
He recorded several singles before topping the Jamaican charts with his own composition, Hurricane Hattie.
In 1965, he relocated to London to work with Island Records – later the home of Bob Marley – but the label’s attempts to adapt his sound for rock audiences weren’t entirely successful at first.
He eventually struck gold with the 1969 single Wonderful World, Beautiful People – an upbeat, feel-good anthem – and the more politically charged Vietnam, which Bob Dylan hailed as “the best protest song ever written.”
Its lyrics tell the story of a young soldier writing from the war, promising his mother he’ll be home soon, only for her to receive a telegram the next day informing her of his death.
Cliff reflected on the song in 1986, telling reggae archivist Roger Steffens: “The essence of my music is struggle. What gives it the icing is the hope of love.”
The Harder They Come had to be subtitled in the US due to the character’s thick Jamaican patois. Cliff became an international star with The Harder They Come, which was expressly written for the film of the same name, in which he portrayed Ivan Martin, a young man attempting to break into Jamaica’s corrupt music industry.
“The film opened the door for Jamaica,” Cliff recalled. “It said, ‘This is where this music comes from.’”
Cliff contributed four songs to the soundtrack, including the gospel hymn Many Rivers to Cross, which reflected his early days as a struggling artist in the UK.
“I was still in my teens,” he later recalled. “I came full of vigour: I’m going to make it, I’m going to be up there with the Beatles and the Stones.”
“And it wasn’t really going like that; I was touring clubs, not breaking through. I was struggling, with work, life, my identity. I couldn’t find my place. Frustration fuelled the song.”
Instead, the film and its soundtrack garnered him international acclaim. Rolling Stone magazine even named it one of their top 500 albums of all time.
During the 1980s, he collaborated with the Rolling Stones on their Dirty Work album, and he returned to the US charts in 1993 with his cover of I Can See Clearly Now, from the soundtrack for Cool Runnings, which followed the escapades of Jamaica’s bobsleigh team.
His other recordings included the Grammy Award-winning albums Cliff Hanger (1985) and Rebirth (2012), a nostalgic return to form.
Cliff entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, calling it “a great thrill and an honour.”
Inducting him, Fugees star Wyclef Jean said he had been inspired by Cliff’s success as a young boy growing up in Haiti.
“When we saw Jimmy Cliff, we saw ourselves,” he said.
Cliff continued to tour late into his life, performing at Glastonbury’s legends slot in 2003 and winning over a new generation of fans at the 2010 Coachella Festival.
His contributions to Jamaican music and culture were recognised in October 2003 when he was awarded the country’s prestigious Order of Merit.