Jimmy Cliff,โ a pioneering force in reggae music and a celebrated “cultural giant” of Jamaica, has died at the ageโฃ of 81. His wife, Latifaโฃ Chambers, announced his passing on Facebook Monday, citing a seizure followed by pneumonia as the cause.
Born James Chambers on July 30,โฃ 1944, during a โฃhurricane in St James Parish, Jamaica,โ Cliff roseโ to prominence alongside Bobโ Marley, helping to popularize โขreggae,โค ska, and rocksteady over โa six-decade career. โHe transitioned from a family farmโ in his youth to Kingston, driven by โคa determination to succeed in the music industry. At 14, he achieved national recognition with his self-penned song, โ”Hurricane Hattie.”
Cliff’sโข musical journey spanned over 30 albums and performances worldwide, โincluding appearances in Paris,โ Brazil, โฃand atโ the 1964 New York World’s Fair. A โpivotal moment โคcameโฃ in 1965 whenโฃ Chris Blackwell of Island Recordsโค – the producer who would later launch Bobโฃ Marley and the Wailers – invited Cliffโข toโ collaborate โin the UK.
Beyond โฃmusic, Cliff leftโฃ a lasting mark on cinema, starring in the 1972 film Theโ Harderโ They Come, directed by perry Henzell. The film is credited withโฃ introducing โreggae to a global audience and offering aโค stark, realistic portrayal of Jamaican โฃlife, challenging the island’s image as merely aโ tourist destination.