Jimmy Cliff, the legendary reggae musician who helped bring Jamaica’s rhythmic sound to the world stage, has died at the age of 81, his wife announced on Monday.
“It is with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” Latifa Chambers wrote on his official Instagram account. “I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists, and coworkers who shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his career.”
Over more than four decades, Cliff wrote and performed songs that fused reggae with folk, soul, ska, and rock, often addressing themes of politics, poverty, injustice, and social struggle. Hits like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “The Harder They Come” cemented his reputation as one of reggae’s most influential figures after Bob Marley, with whom he collaborated early in Marley’s career.
Cliff gained international fame through the 1972 film The Harder They Come, which drew from his own experiences growing up in poverty and introduced both him and reggae music to a global audience.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid tribute, calling Cliff “a true cultural giant whose music carried the heart of our nation to the world. His music lifted people through hard times, inspired generations, and helped shape the global respect that Jamaican culture enjoys today. Walk good, Jimmy Cliff. Your legacy lives on in every corner of our island and in the hearts of the Jamaican people.”
AFP
