Reggae legend and Jamaican icon, Jimmy Cliff, dies at 81

Reggae legend and Jamaican icon, Jimmy Cliff, dies at 81

Reggae tune icon Jimmy Cliff has died at the age of 81, his circle of relatives stated in a announcement shared on social media.

“It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by means of pneumonia,” Latifa Chambers said in a declaration posted on Cliff’s Instagram account. “i’m grateful for his circle of relatives, pals, fellow artists and coworkers who’ve shared his adventure with him. To all his fanatics round the sector, please recognize that your help was his power at some point of his whole career … Jimmy, my darling, may additionally you rest in peace. i will observe your needs.”

The couple’s infants Lilty and Aken additionally signed the assertion.

He was once nice acknowledged for songs including “Many Rivers to move,” and “The harder they arrive,” the title track for the film of the same call from 1972, which featured Cliff. The movie’s soundtrack was a main global success and helped unfold the appeal of Jamaican reggae.

Jamaican top Minister Andrew Holness said in a assertion: “His track lifted human beings thru hard times, stimulated generations, and helped to form the global respect that Jamaican culture enjoys nowadays.”

Born in Jamaica in 1944, Cliff scored his first neighborhood hit elderly simply 14 with “storm Hattie” and might move on to win 2 Grammy awards and pick up seven nominations.

He was solely considered one of two Jamaicans to be inducted into the Rock & Roll hall of repute, alongside Bob Marley. He was once inducted in 2010, with an introductory speech from Wyclef Jean.

An essay commemorating Cliff from creator Rob Bowman stated that if he had finished not anything but celebrity in “The harder they arrive,” he could have merited inclusion.

Cliff was a foundational figure inside the Jamaican reggae scene. He labored as an A&R guy, discovering new Genius for Beverley’s facts. This legendary label promoted ska, rocksteady, and ultimately reggae, and performed a role inside the discovery of both Desmond Dekker and a younger Bob Marley.