Jimmy Cliff, the iconic reggae star who helped transform the island’s rhythmic music into a global cultural phenomenon, has died, his wife said Monday. He was 81.
“It is with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” his wife Latifa Chambers wrote on his official 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 who career.”
Over four decades Cliff wrote and sang songs that fused reggae with his sensibilities for folk, soul, ska and rock music, and addressed issues like politics, poverty, injustice, and war protest.
Cliff, a multi-instrumentalist and singer of hits like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “The Harder They Come,” is widely seen as reggae’s most influential figure after the late Bob Marley, with whom he collaborated early in Marley’s career.
Cliff built a major following early, with the wildly successful 1972 film “The Harder They Come,” which starred Cliff and drew in part from his experiences growing up in poverty, introducing him and reggae music to a global audience.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the island nation was pausing to honor 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 to shape the global respect that Jamaican culture enjoys today,” Holness added.
“Walk good, Jimmy Cliff. Your legacy lives on in every corner of our island and in the hearts of the Jamaican people.”
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