Jamaican Reggae Legend Jimmy Cliff Dies At 81

Jamaican music icon Jimmy Cliff has died “due to a seizure followed by pneumonia” at the age of 81.

Jimmy Cliff, known for hits like ‘Many Rivers To Cross’, ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ and his cover of ‘I Can See Clearly Now’, turned reggae into a global phenomenon.

The news was shared earlier on Monday in a post on his official Facebook page. Cliff’s wife Latifa Chambers wrote: “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 whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.”

Her message was also signed by their children, Lilty and Aken.

The reggae and soul legend is best known for his songs ‘Many Rivers To Cross’, ‘The Harder They Come’, ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’, and the cover of Johnny Nash’s ‘I Can See Clearly Now’, which appeared on the soundtrack to 1993’s Cool Runnings.

Born James Chambers on July 30, 1944, the singer and multi-instrumentalist was also an actor and starred in several films, including the 1972 classic ‘The Harder They Come’, which helped to popularise reggae around the world. It has been described as “possibly the most influential of Jamaican films and one of the most important films from the Caribbean.”