Jimmy Cliff, the voice that carried Jamaican reggae to the world and turned a low-budget crime film into a global phenomenon, has passed away at age 81.
His family announced Monday that the singer suffered a seizure and later developed pneumonia.
From Country Boy to Cultural Icon
Born James Chambers in rural St. James parish, Cliff left for Kingston as a teenager just as Jamaica celebrated independence in 1962. He arrived when ska was evolving into rocksteady and soon helped birth reggae alongside Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and others.
The Film That Changed Everything
In 1972, Cliff took the lead role in The Harder They Come — Jamaica’s first home-grown feature film. He played Ivan, a young dreamer who becomes an outlaw when the music industry shuts him out.
The movie exploded internationally. More importantly, its soundtrack powered by four Cliff classics introduced millions to reggae for the first time.
Four Songs That Defined a Movement
- “You Can Get It If You Really Want” – pure determination
- “The Harder They Come” – raw defiance
- “Many Rivers to Cross” – a soul-stirring cry written during lonely years in London
- “Sitting in Limbo” – quiet hope amid struggle
Critics still rank the soundtrack among the greatest ever made.
A Legacy That Crossed Oceans
Rock giants covered his work:
- Bruce Springsteen turned “Trapped” into a concert staple
- John Lennon, Cher, and Willie Nelson all recorded his songs
Cliff kept creating right to the end — working with everyone from The Rolling Stones to Wyclef Jean.
Honors That Followed
- Two Grammy Awards (1986 & 2012)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (2010)
From a village boy to a global messenger of joy and resistance, Jimmy Cliff showed the world that one voice from a small island could echo forever.
Rest easy, legend.
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