On Monday, Nov. 24, Jamaican reggae lovers and artists paid tribute to the legendary singer, songwriter, and actor Jimmy Cliff, who passed away that day at the age of 81.
“It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” said Latifa Chambers in a statement posted on Cliff’s Instagram account.
“I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists, and coworkers who have shared his journey with him,” she added. “To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes.”
The couple’s children, Lilty and Aken, also signed the statement.
Cliff, born on July 30, 1944, in Somerton, St. James, Jamaica, was reportedly instrumental in introducing reggae to an international audience, primarily through his performance in the landmark film “The Harder They Come” (1972).
“There will forever be a part of Jimmy that will resonate and remain with my family for time to come,” Jamaican-born, New York attorney Merrick J. Dammar, Esq., told Caribbean Life. “As the godfather of my son Markhus, Jimmy was the first entertainer who performed at my property located at Emandee Acres, setting the standard under which we offer quality entertainment for free.
“I am proud to be the owner of Jimmy’s first guitar,” Dammar added. “As he presented it to me, he stated, ‘Bob Marley’s guitar is with him. Mine is with you. Take good care of her, she made me famous’.
“Rest my brother; you have crossed your last river, leaving us with the reminder that we live in a ‘Wonderful World’ with ‘Beautiful People,’” he continued.
Reggae singer Richie Stephens said Cliff was “not just an artist, he was a national treasure and an icon.
“Jimmy is someone who taught us about the business of music, both how to perform on stage and how to conduct ourselves,” he said. “Jimmy Cliff was a pioneer, somebody that we truly loved and admired throughout the years.
“It’s such a sad day for Jamaica, for the entire reggae industry to know he’s no longer with us,” Stephens added. “Reggae music has certainly lost one of our greatest ever. Jimmy is gone but will never be forgotten. RIP (rest in peace).”
Jamaican-born, New York-based entertainment promoter Anthony “ER Guru” Turner said he has “known the songs of singer, actor, humanitarian Jimmy Cliff all my life.
“I remember hearing songs like ‘Harder They Come’, ‘Many Rivers To Cross’ and ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’”, Turner said. “These songs were the soundtrack not just to the movie ‘Hard They Come’ but the lives of many Jamaicans who loved and cherished his songs.”
Turner worked with Cliff in 2010, when Cliff became the second Jamaican reggae musician to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“What a life-changing moment that was to have shared space with him when I put together a press junket to honor Jimmy’s accomplishments for over 30 Jamaican/Caribbean media in Manhattan,” Turner said. “I had the rare opportunity to touch and hold his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame trophy. This is a moment I will never forget.”
In 2012, Turner also worked with Cliff at Groovin’ In The Park in Jamaica, Queens. Cliff headlined the festival along with Gladys Knight, Boyz II Men, Beres Hammond, and Beenieman.
“Jimmy was the consummate performer who knew how to engage and entertain fans,” said Turner, noting that Cliff was conferred with the Order of Merit, Jamaica’s fourth-highest national honor, in 2003 by the Government of Jamaica. “Walk good, my friend. RIP.”
Jamaican-born, New York-based musicologist Winston “Stan” Smith said, “Jimmy Cliff’s legacy is secure.
“Like brand Jamaica, his musical accomplishments punched above his weight,” he said. “The world knew and loved the rich tapestry of Ska, Rock Steady, and Reggae because of Jimmy Cliff.”
Cliff’s biography on his official website states: “As many legends throughout history do, the whole story starts during a devastating storm. We open on the Somerton District of St. James, Jamaica. With only one midwife tending to the entire village, a mother gives birth to a child, wraps him in a sheet, and takes him to shelter at a neighbor’s home as the hurricane blows her house away.
“However, everybody agrees, ‘There’s something special about this boy,’” it adds. “He becomes famous by the age of 14 for a hit coincidentally entitled ‘Hurricane Hattie.’ He goes on to popularize reggae music everywhere. He changes the world. Nearly 70 years later, he doesn’t stop. This is the story of Jimmy Cliff.
“The GRAMMY® Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® inductee, musician, actor, singer, songwriter, producer, and humanitarian attributes it to something befitting of tales passed down through the ages—yet all too ignored today—‘Magic,’” states his biography.
“I feel like there’s something magical about everything,” said Cliff then. “When my mother was pregnant, she had such a huge stomach that everyone thought she was carrying triplets. That’s why people initially said I was special.
“In school, I was already doing magic tricks,” he added. “I don’t know how I learned them. I could also read palms. Nobody taught me how to do that either. There are so many stories like that in my life. The fact that I came out of that hurricane felt significant to me.”
Cliff received Jamaica’s highest honor, The Order of Merit, and is one of only two Jamaican Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, along with Bob Marley.
