Jamaican musician James Chambers, better known as Jimmy Cliff, one of the great reggae legends, has died. He was 81 years old and couldn’t resist pneumonia.
His death was confirmed by his wife, Latifa, on social media. “To all his fans around the world: know that your support was his strength, throughout his career”, can be read on the musician’s official Instagram account.
Cliff began his career in the early 60s, achieving his first hit, ‘Hurricane Hattie’, when he was just 17 years old. Three years later, he was chosen to represent Jamaica at the New York World’s Fair, ending up signing with the renowned publisher Island, then moving to the United Kingdom.
His first album for an international audience, “Hard Road to Travel”, was released in 1967 and received good reviews from the public and the press. He wrote reggae hits such as ‘Many Rivers to Cross’, ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ or ‘The Harder They Come’, the latter composed for the 1972 film of the same name.
In the 80s, his music achieved greater exposure when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band included ‘Trapped’ in the lineups of “The River Tour”; his version was included on the “We Are the World” benefit album. “Cliff Hanger”, from 1985, earned him a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album – which he would repeat in 2012, with “Rebirth”. The following year, he collaborated on “Dirty Rock”, an album by the Rolling Stones. “Fantastic Plastic People”, released in 2002, saw him team up with names like Sting and Joe Strummer.
In 2003, he was awarded the Order of Merit by the Jamaican government, and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Converted to Islam in the 70s, he renounced all religions in 2013, calling himself a “believer in science”. One of his daughters is Brazilian artist and actress Nabiyah Be.