Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican music legend who helped spread the influence of reggae around the world, has died aged 81.
His family posted a message Monday on social media saying he died from a “seizure followed by pneumonia.”
“To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career,” the announcement reads in part. “He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.”
A star since the 1960s, Cliff’s award-winning career as a musician spanned decades. He helped to bring the sound of Jamaica to a global audience with hits such as Wonderful World and Beautiful People.
His starring role in the 1972 film ‘The Harder They Come’ is widely credited with helping reggae music gain a global audience.
The film’s soundtrack — predating the first widely available Marley release worldwide — featured Cliff songs that included the defiant title track, Sitting in Limbo, and You Can Get It If You Really Want It.
Cliff later worked with acts like the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Annie Lennox and Paul Simon, and recorded a track, “I Can See Clearly Now,” on the soundtrack of the 1993 movie “Cool Runnings.”
One of the last duets he recorded was with Clash’s Joe Strummer on Over the Border.
He was inducted in 2010 into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which described him as reggae’s “first champion.”
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid tribute to Cliff on X after his death, remembering him as a “true cultural giant whose music carried the heart of our nation to the world.”
