Jamaican reggae icon Jimmy Cliff dead at 81

KINGSTON, Jamaica — 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.

The family announced the death in a post on Cliff's official Instagram account, saying he "has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia."

Over four decades, Cliff wrote and sang songs that fused reggae with his sensibilities for folk, soul, rhythm and blues, ska and rock music, and addressed issues like politics, poverty, injustice and war protest.

The singer of hits like "You Can Get It If You Really Want," "Many Rivers to Cross," and "The Harder They Come," Cliff 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, beginning with the wildly successful 1972 film "The Harder They Come," which starred the charismatic musician as a rural young man navigating gangs and street life as he sought to break into Jamaica's music business.

It drew in part from his own experiences growing up in poverty, and introduced him and reggae music to a global audience.

"The essence of my music is struggle," Cliff said in 1986, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2010. "What gives it the icing is the hope of love."

This line from "The Harder They Come" illustrates social justice as a theme of Cliff's music: "But I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave."

Cliff said at his induction ceremony that he actually "grew up listening to rock and roll music, outside of our Indigenous music in Jamaica," and that he drew inspiration from the greats, including Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix.

"Music is about being inspired," said Cliff, winner of two Grammy Awards for best reggae album -- "Cliff Hanger" in 1985, and "Rebirth" in 2012.

In Jamaica on Monday, Cliff was remembered as a national hero.

"There is no way anybody can replace him. That's a legend we are talking about," said Roja Burma, who lives in the capital Kingston.

A man named Clinton, who declined to give his last name, said, "he's a great loss to Jamaica and we're going to miss him."

Jimmy Cliff was born in July 1944 as James Chambers in western Jamaica's Saint James Parish. After showing early promise as a singer, his father took him to Kingston at age 14 to pursue music.

By age 17 he was a local star, and soon moved to Britain, releasing recordings on the Island Records label throughout the late 1960s including "Vietnam." Bob Dylan reportedly called it the best protest song he had ever heard.

Two decades of broad exposure followed. In addition to "The Harder They Come" film and soundtrack, he sang with the Rolling Stones, The Clash and Annie Lennox.

He became a star in Latin America and Africa, and headlined international music festivals.

But he never reached the heights of Marley, the king of reggae.

"The first time I recorded an album," Cliff told French newspaper Le Monde, "I was paid one shilling. The Wailers (Marley's band) were luckier than me at Studio One, they were paid £2 a week."

Cliff enjoyed a new generation of fans when he recorded Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," which featured in the popular 1993 film "Cool Runnings."

After Cliff's death was announced, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the Caribbean nation was pausing to honor "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.

The English reggae band UB40 paid tribute on X, expressing sadness at the death of the "music icon and original reggae superstar."

"He finally crossed over the last river," they posted. "RIP Jimmy, your music will live forever."

© 2025 AFP