Jimmy Cliff, the iconic reggae star who helped transform the island’s rhythmic music into a global cultural phenomenon, has died.
His wife in a statement today said the 81 year old icon died due to a seizure followed by pneumonia.
Over four decades, Cliff wrote and sang songs that fused reggae with his sensibilities for folk, soul, ska, and rock music, and addressed issues like politics, poverty, injustice, and war protests.
Cliff, a multi-instrumentalist and singer of hits like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “The Harder They Come,” is widely seen as reggae’s most influential figure after the late Bob Marley, with whom he collaborated early in Marley’s career.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the island nation was pausing to honor Cliff, “a true cultural giant whose music carried the heart of the nation to the world.
