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

Reggae music icon Jimmy Cliff, whose unique tone, lyricism and breakthrough role on the big screen helped make the music of his native Jamaica part of popular culture around the world, has died at the age of 81, his family said in a statement shared on social media Monday.

“It is with deep sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” Latifa Chambers said in a statement posted to Cliff’s Instagram account. “I am grateful for his family, friends, fellow artists and co-workers who have shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, know that your support was his strength throughout his entire career… Jimmy, dear, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes.”

The couple’s children, Lilty and Aken, also signed the statement.

Cliff was one of the first international stars of Jamaican music, emerging as reggae evolved from the sounds of ska and rocksteady in the 1960s and early 1970s. His starring role in the enduring classic film “The Harder They Come,” an entirely Jamaican production, in 1972 cemented his legacy not only as a musician, but also as a cultural phenomenon.

Cliff played an aspiring singer who stumbled upon the harsh realities of a music business run by self-interested producers, at the expense of artists, and the pitfalls rife for young Jamaicans trying to survive amid an epidemic of violent gang crime that swept the nation. The film’s messages, like its music, were timeless.

The title track of “The Harder They Come,” along with familiar hits like “Many Rivers to Cross” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” spoke to the struggles of Jamaicans at the time, but have continued to resonate with audiences around the world since he wrote them.

Cliff, along with other icons like Bob Marley and Toots Hibbert He helped give the music and culture of his relatively small Caribbean nation a global impact that endures today and far exceeds the size of Jamaica in terms of population economy.

His lively stage presence and high-pitched tone were unmistakable. Cliff released his latest single, “Human Touch,” just four years ago.

In a tribute posted to his own social media accounts early Monday morning, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called Cliff “a true cultural giant whose music took the heart of our nation to the world.”

“Jimmy Cliff told our story with honesty and soul,” Holness said. “His music got people through difficult times, inspired generations and helped shape the global respect that Jamaican culture enjoys today. We give thanks for his life, his contribution and the pride he brought to Jamaica… Walk well, Jimmy Cliff. Your legacy lives on in every corner of our island and in the hearts of the Jamaican people.”