(FILES) Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff performs during the Rototom Sunsplash festival in Benicassim, Castellon province, on August 16, 2014.
From our Entertainment desk, Benin
Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer, pathfinder and actor who preached joy, defiance and resilience in his classics, reportedly has departed to the great beyond at 81.
The news of his departure was broken by his wife, Latifa Chambers on the social media on Monday, 24 November, 2025.
Cliff took the final bow via a seizure followed by pneumonia, She disclosed.
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Jamaican singer and composer, Jimmy Cliff, at the age of 81.
“It is with deep sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, passed away after a seizure followed by pneumonia,” Latifa wrote.
“I thank the family, friends, artists and colleagues who shared this journey with him. To the fans around the world, know that your support has been their strength throughout this career. He deeply valued the love of each one. ” Wrote Latifa, the artist’s wife.
The singer recorded more than 30 albums and won two Grammys during his six-decade career.
Jimmy Cliff
Born James Chambers on July 30, 1944, during a hurricane in St. James Parish in northwestern Jamaica, he moved in the 1950s from the family farm to the country’s capital, Kingston, with his father, determined to succeed in the music industry.
At 14, he became nationally famous for the song Hurricane Hattie, which he wrote.
Cliff would go on to record more than 30 albums and perform all over the world, including in Paris, Brazil and at the World’s Fair in New York in 1964.
The following year, Chris Blackwell of Island Records, the producer who launched Bob Marley and the Wailers, invited Cliff to work in the United Kingdom with him.
Acting career
Cliff later went into acting, starring in the 1972 classic film ‘The Harder They Come’, directed by Perry Henzell. The film has been credited with introducing an international audience to reggae music..
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The movie portrayed the grittier aspects of Jamaican life, redefining the island as more than a tourist playground of cocktails, beaches and waterfalls.
Known in part for the singles You Can Get It If You Really Want It and Many Rivers To Cross as well as for his covers of Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now, which appeared on the soundtrack of the 1993 movie Cool Runnings, and Cat Stevens’s Wild World, Cliff was well known for weaving his humanitarian views into his songs.
As American folk artist Bob Dylan has called Cliff’s Vietnam the best protest song ever written.
The anti-establishment bent of Cliff’s music gave a voice not only to the hardships faced by Jamaicans, but also to the spirit and joy that persevered in spite of poverty and oppression.
Over the years, Cliff worked with the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Annie Lennox and Paul Simon.
In 2012, he won a Grammy Award for best reggae album for Rebirth, which was produced by the punk band Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, as well as another Grammy in 1984 for Cliff Hanger.
Ode to Cliff by his mentees
Absolutely heartbroken to hear about the passing of a Reggae forefather Jimmy Cliff.
A true foundation, a pillar of our music, and one of the first to carry reggae out into the world.
Jimmy wasn’t just a legend, he was a light. From The Harder They Come to Many Rivers to Cross, he opened doors for all of us who came after. His courage, his spirit, his melody… they shaped the path we walk today.
Jimmy Cliff gave us Bob Marley Early in Bob’s career, Jimmy Cliff worked as a “tester” (A&R) for Leslie Kong’s Beverley’s Records. Cliff listened to new artists’ demos and selected what he thought was promising.
That’s exactly how Bob Marley got his first recording deal Bob auditioned, Cliff heard five of his songs, and he picked out three “Judge Not”, “One Cup of Coffee”, “Terror” to pitch to Kong
Those songs became some of Marley’s first official recordings
Every time I step on a stage, I’m reminded of the giants who laid the groundwork, and Jimmy was one of the greatest. A man of heart, humility, and unbelievable talent.
Rest easy, King!
Your voice lives forever and your legacy will keep inspiring generations of reggae lovers across the globe!
Sources: ajazeera, Facebook
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