Jimmy Cliff, reggae legend and star of 1972 crime drama The Harder They Come, has died at the age of 81.
The Jamaican musician and actor passed away following a seizure and battle with pneumonia, his wife Latifa Chambers wrote on Instagram Monday. “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,” she said, before thanking Cliff’s medical staff.
The post continued: “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. Further information will be provided at a later date. See you and we see you Legend.” Chambers signed off with her name, as well as those of hers and Cliff’s daughter, Lilty, and their son, Aken.
James Chambers was born in 1948 in St. James, Jamaica, and grew up alongside eight siblings. At 14, his father took him to Kingston, where he took the stage name Jimmy Cliff. At age 17, he produced the hit single “Hurricane Hattie.”
It was in the ’60s and ’70s that the reggae icon rose to international fame, popularizing Jamaican music all over the world with hits “Wonderful World, Beautiful People” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want.”
Director Perry Henzell’s The Harder They Come, in which Cliff stars as Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin, was immensely successful and is said to be the movie that brought reggae to America. Also dubbed one of the most important films out of the Caribbean, the crime drama swiftly became a cult classic and features much of Cliff’s beloved music, including “Many Rivers to Cross,” “Sitting Here in Limbo” and “The Harder They Come.”
