Yusuf/Cat Stevens has paid tribute to Jimmy Cliff, calling the reggae pioneer a “powerful presence in my life” after the iconic Jamaican singer’s family announced his death aged 81.
“He always seemed to be there at crucial stages on my journey,” Stevens wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. “We had success together in the early days with ‘Wild World,’ we bumped into each other by strange and wonderful coincidence on pilgrimage in Mecca, and we also connected at the Mandela 46664 concert that marked my return to mainstream music.”
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“GOD BLESS HIM,” Stevens added, sharing an old personal photo of the pair. “His songs always had some message of peace — may he find it now and forever.”
Although the two men weren’t frequent collaborators, Cliff’s cover of Steven’s 1970 “Wild World” was one of his early international hits, securing a Top 10 singles spot in the United Kingdom.
Two years later, Stevens produced Cliff’s song “Trapped” for his compilation album, Goodbye Yesterday. The song went mainstream in the 1980s thanks to Bruce Springsteen, who began covering it during his live sets, transforming it into a rock tune.
Cliff’s wife Latifa announced his death on Instagram on Monday, writing that he had suffered a “seizure followed by pneumonia.”
“I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him,” she wrote in a post signed by his two children, Lilty and Aken. “To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love. Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes … See you and we see you Legend.”
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