Jamaican reggae legend Jimmy Cliff dies aged 81

Jamaican music icon Jimmy Cliff has died “due to a seizure followed by pneumonia” at the age of 81.

The news was shared earlier today in a post on his official Facebook page. Cliff’s wife Latifa Chambers wrote: “I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him.”

“To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.”

Her message was also signed by their children, Lilty and Aken.

The reggae and soul legend is best known for his songs ‘Many Rivers To Cross’, ‘The Harder They Come’, ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’, and the cover of Johnny Nash’s ‘I Can See Clearly Now’, which appeared on the soundtrack to 1993’s Cool Runnings.

Born James Chambers on 30 July 1944, the singer and multi-instrumentalist was also an actor and starred in several films, including the 1972 classic The Harder They Come, which helped to popularize reggae around the world. It has been described as “possibly the most influential of Jamaican films and one of the most important films from the Caribbean.”

Many fans have taken to social media to share their tributes for the late singer, including Andrew Holness, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, who shared that Cliff was "a true cultural giant whose music carried the heart of our nation to the world."

Check out some of the tributes below.

Cliff won Grammys for the albums ‘Cliff Hanger’ (1985) and ‘Rebirth’ (2012), and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010.

He was one of just 30 people, alongside fellow musicians Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, to be awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit.

RIP Jimmy Cliff 1944 - 2025