Jimmy Cliff, the legendary reggae icon and multi-hyphenate performer, has died at the age of 81.
His death was confirmed Monday by his family, who shared on his social media accounts that the musician passed away from a “seizure followed by pneumonia.” He is survived by his wife, Latifa Chambers, and his three children, Lilty Cliff, Aken Cliff and Nabiyah Be.
“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,” his wife Latifa wrote Monday, before thanking the medical professionals who took care of him in his final moments.
“They have been extremely supportive and helpful during this difficult process,” Chambers noted. “Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes. I hope you all can respect our privacy during these hard times. Further information will be provided at a later date. See you and we see you Legend.”
Born James Chambers on July 30, 1944, in Jamaica, Cliff became a prominent artist in the 1960s Jamaican reggae movement that also featured other prominent musicians like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. He is best known for songs like “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Reggae Night,” as well as for his covers of songs like “Wild World” and “I Can See Clearly Now,” tracks that were originally performed by Cat Stevens and Johnny Nash, respectively.
Throughout his career, Cliff was nominated for seven Grammy awards and won Best Reggae Album twice: First, in 1986 for “Cliff Hanger,” and again nearly 30 years later in 2012 for “Rebirth.”
In 1972, Cliff played Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin, an aspiring reggae musician who ends up torn between his musical dreams and the crimes he commits in order to make ends meet, in “The Harder They Come.” That film became the first major commercial Jamaican film release and helped bring reggae music out of Jamaica and into the rest of the world.
Fourteen years later, he starred in director Harold Ramis’ 1986 film “Club Paradise,” a comedy about a retired Chicago firefighter (Robin Williams) who teams up with a local reggae singer (Cliff) in a scheme to market a low-rent resort to rich tourists.
At the time of his death, Cliff was the only living reggae musician to have been given the Order of Merit, the highest acknowledgment awarded by the Jamaican government for an individual’s artistic and scientific achievements. In 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
