Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, known as the original “rude boy” and a key figure in bringing Jamaican reggae to the global stage, has died at the age of 81. Cliff’s wife, Latifa Chambers, confirmed the musician’s death on Instagram on Monday (November 24), revealing that he “crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia.” Cliff, a two-time Grammy winner, rose to international fame with hits like “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” and his beloved cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” and is best known for starring in and being featured on the soundtrack for the groundbreaking 1972 film, The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae music and Jamaican cinema worldwide. In 2021, the soundtrack was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, with the Library of Congress deeming the album “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Beginning his career in the early 1960s, Cliff was among the first Jamaican artists signed to Island Records and played a crucial role in launching Bob Marley’s career. “Even though we had similar revolutionary aspirations, spirits and thoughts, I’m a bit of a loner, and he loved all the people,” Cliff said of Marley in an interview with Rolling Stone. “And so he attracted the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Born James Chambers in 1944 near Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cliff’s soulful vocals were shaped by gospel, American soul, and pioneering Jamaican music, leaving a lasting legacy as a global ambassador of reggae. In addition to his wife, Cliff is survived by their two children, Lilty and Aken, as well as a daughter from a previous relationship, the actress/singer Nabiyah Be. (Rolling Stone)
