Reggae legend and Jamaican icon, Jimmy Cliff, dies at 81

Reggae music icon Jimmy Cliff has died at the age of 81, his family said in a statement shared on social media.

“It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” Latifa Chambers said in a statement posted on Cliff’s Instagram account. “I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career … Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes.”

The couple’s children Lilty and Aken also signed the statement.

He was best known for songs including “Many Rivers to Cross,” and “The Harder They Come,” the title song for the movie of the same name from 1972, which featured Cliff. The film’s soundtrack was a major international success and helped spread the appeal of Jamaican reggae.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a statement: “His music lifted people through hard times, inspired generations, and helped to shape the global respect that Jamaican culture enjoys today.”

Born in Jamaica in 1944, Cliff scored his first local hit aged just 14 with “Hurricane Hattie” and would go on to win two Grammy awards and pick up seven nominations.

He was only one of two Jamaicans to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside Bob Marley. He was inducted in 2010, with an introductory speech from Wyclef Jean.

An essay commemorating Cliff from writer Rob Bowman said that if he had done nothing but star in “The Harder They Come,” he would have merited inclusion.

Cliff was a foundational figure in the Jamaican reggae scene. He worked as an A&R man, discovering new talent for Beverley’s Records. This legendary label promoted ska, rocksteady, and eventually reggae, and played a role in the discovery of both Desmond Dekker and a young Bob Marley.

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