Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff dies aged 81

Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff has died at the age of 81, his family has announced.

The musician, best known for the title track from seminal film The Harder They Come, died following a seizure after he came down with pneumonia, his wife Latifa said.

A post to his Instagram page said: “It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia.

“I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and co-workers 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.”

She added: “Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes. I hope you all can respect our privacy during these hard times.”

The post was signed by his wife and two of his children, Lilty and Aken.

The singer, who helped popularise reggae music around the world, and for a brief time was a rival to Bob Marley as the genre’s most prominent artist, was born in the Somerton District of St James, Jamaica, in 1944.

He began writing music as Jamaica was gaining its independence from Britain, and as the early sounds of reggae — first called ska – were being developed.

The singer, who was known for songs including I Can See Clearly Now and You Can Get It If You Really Want, had two Grammys to his name and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010.

Among his other famous songs was 1969’s Vietnam, which was reportedly described by Bob Dylan as “the best protest song” he had ever heard.

Cliff found a new level of fame when he starred in 1972 crime film The Harder They Come as young Jamaican reggae singer Ivanhoe Martin, known to friends as Ivan, who dreams of stardom but struggles to get his musical voice heard.

He told the Guardian in 2022: “Back in those days there were few of us African descendants who came through the cracks to get any kind of recognition.

“It was easier in music than movies. But when you start to see your face and name on the side of the buses in London that was like: wow, what’s going on? Reggae music was still considered a novelty.

“Once the music had a chance to be recognised, it just jumped out at people. And then (the film) showed people where the music was coming from.”

The movie’s soundtrack featured several of his songs including Many Rivers To Cross, which has been covered by UB40, Cher and Annie Lennox.

UB40 star Ali Campbell said he was “absolutely heartbroken to hear about the passing of a Reggae forefather” in a post to X.

He also called Cliff “a pillar of our music, and one of the first to carry reggae out into the world”.

Cliff wrote on a variety of themes, including the Covid 19 pandemic in a 2021 song called Human Touch, but it was his songs about racism, black resistance and joy that cemented him as a voice of the people.

Cliff’s last studio album, Refugees, was released in 2022, and the singer said he wrote the title track “due to emotional feelings towards freedom taken away from human beings”.

He was one of several musicians, alongside Marley and others, to be awarded Jamaica’s Order of Merit.