Some artists entertain. And then, there are other special ones who inspire, educate, and shape everything you do without you even realizing it. For Jamaican-born, New York-based entertainment publicist Anthony “ER Guru” Turner, Jimmy Cliff was “one of the special ones.”
The reggae singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist was born in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica on Jul. 30, 1944. On Nov. 24, 2025, 81 years later, he chose Zion.
Turner told Caribbean Life on Monday, Dec. 8, that Cliff “may not be physically here with us in the flesh, but he lives on in every melody he gifted us in songs like “Harder They Come,” “Many Rivers To Cross,” “Rebel In Me,” and others.
“Jimmy’s music was the soundtrack to generations of Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora,” he said, noting that “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” which first captured global attention in the 1972 film “The Harder They Come,” “found new life when it was featured in ‘Speed 2,’ in the Will Smith film ‘Hitch,’ in the animated hit ‘The Pirates Band of Misfits,’ and on the album ‘Sebastian from The Little Mermaid.’”
Turner disclosed that he “had the pleasure to work with Jimmy Cliff twice.
“I first met Jimmy in 2010 when he became only the second Jamaican reggae artist alongside Bob Marley to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” he said. “I was asked to arrange a press junket in Manhattan by his management for about 30 media outlets, including The New York Times, Vibe Magazine, Forever Reggae TV, CLM TV and others at the Waldorf Astoria that welcomed him to New York.
“Jimmy spoke about the roots of his music and delved into the oppression from which he rose to become a global superstar,” Turner added. “He spoke about opening gates so others could pass through. His humility and his charming smile filled the room.
“I watched him work,” he continued. “I watched him connect with the rooms full of journalists who listened intently and held on to every word the reggae icon delivered.”
Turner recalled when Cliff asked him to hold his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame trophy.
“It may have seemed like a small gesture to some. For me, it was holding a piece of history, a cherished piece of Jamaica that I may never get that opportunity again,” he said. “This was Jimmy’s story, as well as a piece of my own story.”
Turner said he and Cliff’s paths crossed again in 2012 at Groovin’ In The Park in Jamaica, Queens.
“Jimmy was booked as a headline performer alongside R&B heavyweights Gladys Knight and Boyz II Men, reggae crooner Beres Hammond, and dancehall doctor Beenie Man,” he said. “Watching him command the Roy Wilkins Park stage was nostalgic and reminded me once again why the world loved this ‘son of the soil.’
“Jimmy transformed the stage and took thousands of reggae lovers on a musical odyssey, and made them family,” Turner reminisced.
“I give you gratitude, Jimmy, for the songs that raised an entire generation,” he added. “You were a bridge between generations.
“Thank you for walking with us for so long,” Turner continued. “Your voice may have been silenced, but your songs will forever live in our hearts.”
