Hit singer Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff has died at the age of 81
Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff is dead. He died at the age of 81, according to the English newspaper "The Guardian".
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- Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff has died at the age of 81 as a result of pneumonia, his wife has confirmed.
- Cliff was a central pioneer of reggae and became internationally famous through his role in the film "The Harder They Come" (1972) and hits such as "You Can Get It If You Really Want".
- With his cross-genre style and global influence, he made a significant contribution to popularizing reggae worldwide.
His song went around the world and warmed hearts: "You Can Get It If You Really" singer Jimmy Cliff has died at the age of 81, according to his wife Latifa Chambers, as reported by "The Guardian".
Cliff Chambers' wife, Latifa Chambers, confirmed the musician's death on his official social media channels. Chambers died at the age of 81 as a result of pneumonia following a medical episode.
"I am grateful to his family, friends, fellow artists and collaborators who accompanied him on his journey. And to his fans worldwide: your support was his greatest strength. He appreciated each and every one of you for your love," she wrote.
Known worldwide
Jimmy Cliff - whose real name was James Chambers - played a central role in making reggae known worldwide. He received a great deal of attention for his leading role in the cult film "The Harder They Come" from 1972, which is considered a cult film because it made reggae known internationally for the first time and painted an authentic, formative picture of Jamaican life in the 1970s.
Shortly after moving from the country to Kingston, Cliff began making his first recordings. He released several singles before topping the Jamaican charts with Hurricane Hattie - one of his early successes on producer Leslie Kong's Beverly Records label, as the Jamaica Information Service notes.
In the following years, Cliff landed further hits in which he combined pop and ska elements. In 1965, he moved to London at the invitation of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. There he expanded his sound to include soul and rhythm & blues and developed more in the direction of reggae.
At the end of the 1960s, Cliff was a crowd favorite, especially in South America - after winning an award at the Brazilian song festival for his song "Waterfall". His album Wonderful World, Beautiful People became an international success and even inspired Paul Simon to take a closer look at reggae.
With "The Harder They Come", Cliff finally became a superstar of the genre. For the soundtrack, he provided classics such as Many Rivers to Cross, Sitting in Limbo and the title song - tracks that made him a defining figure in reggae.
