Reggae icon and actor Jimmy Cliff, known for his electrifying presence and timeless hits like “Many Rivers to Cross,” “Vietnam,” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” has died at the age of 81.
His family confirmed the news on Monday through his official social media pages, revealing that he passed away after “a seizure followed by pneumonia.” Further details have not yet been released.
“To all his fans across the globe, please know that your support fueled him throughout his career,” the family’s message said. “He truly valued every single fan for their love.”
Cliff, a proud Jamaican talent with a vibrant tenor and a flair for memorable lyrics, rose from Kingston’s bustling music scene as a teenager. He became a leading voice in the 1960s movement that later introduced global stars like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Toots Hibbert.
In the early ’70s, he accepted director Perry Henzell’s offer to portray Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin, an ambitious reggae singer whose dreams push him down a dangerous path, in the groundbreaking film The Harder They Come.
The movie took years to complete due to funding challenges and was initially a modest box-office performer, though critics like Roger Ebert praised it highly. Today, it stands as a cultural landmark and a defining moment in reggae’s global breakthrough.
The film’s soundtrack, considered one of the strongest in music history, featured Cliff on four of its eleven tracks. Songs like “Sitting in Limbo” offered introspective hope, while “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and the title track were bold declarations of resistance and resilience.
“Many Rivers to Cross,” written after his painful experiences with racism in 1960s England, remains one of his most powerful works.
“It was a very frustrating time,” he told Rolling Stone in 2012. “I arrived in England with big dreams, and I watched them slipping away.”
For a moment, Cliff stood shoulder to shoulder with Marley as reggae’s leading figure and his legacy continues to shape the genre’s history.
