Jimmy Cliff, Music Superstar and Cultural Figure, Passes Away at Eighty-One Years of Age
The world grieves the passing of Jimmy Cliff, the celebrated Jamaican-born musician and actor whose distinctive voice was instrumental in spreading the reggae genre across the globe. The artist has died at the age of eighty-one.
“It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has passed away due to a seizure and subsequent pneumonia,” wrote his wife Latifa Chambers on social media. “I am grateful for his family, close friends, fellow artists and coworkers who walked with him on his journey. To all his supporters around the world, please know that your support was his motivation throughout his whole career … Jimmy, my darling, may you rest peacefully. I will honor your wishes.” The message was also signed by their children, their son and daughter.
Jimmy Cliff was beloved for hit songs such as “You Can Get It If You Really Want”, I Can See Clearly Now and “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”. His optimistic musical style and positive temperament earned him a large and longstanding following.
Beyond his musical achievements, Cliff took the lead role in the 1972 drama film “The Harder They Come”, a role that received critical praise and is considered a landmark of film in Jamaica.
Jimmy Cliff is one of just a handful of artists, including Bob Marley and other greats, to be awarded the prestigious Jamaican Order of Merit.
More to follow…
