James Chambers (30 July 1944 – 24 November 2025), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician. He was regarded as one of Jamaica’s most celebrated artists and was credited with helping to popularise reggae music internationally. At the time of his death, he was the fourth reggae musician to receive the Order of Merit, the highest honour granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences. He was also nominated seven times for the Grammy Awards, winning twice. Cliff starred in The Harder They Come (1972), the first major commercial film produced in Jamaica. Its soundtrack played a key role in bringing reggae to a global audience. He was known for songs such as “Many Rivers to Cross”, “If I Follow My Mind”, “You Can Get It If You Really Want”, “The Harder They Come”, “Reggae Night”, and his covers of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World”, Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” (from the Cool Runnings soundtrack), and “Hakuna Matata”. Cliff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, one of only two Jamaicans in the Hall, the other being Bob Marley. Jimmy Cliff made deliberate, multifaceted efforts to reach across cultural and racial boundaries and appeal to a mainstream audience. He pursued strategic record deals that opened access to the predominantly white UK market, covered well‑known pop and rock songs such as Cat Stevens’ “Wild World”—which reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1970—and placed his music in popular films, including the 1988 hit Cocktail, which featured his song “Shelter of Your Love”. Through these efforts, Cliff reached a broad global audience while remaining true to his reggae roots, and he was widely credited with helping to popularise reggae worldwide.
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Reggae Night
Many Rivers To Cross
Wonderful World, Beautiful People
The Harder They Come
Wild World
Treat The Youths Right
Rebel In Me
Struggling Man
House of exile
Jimmy Cliff live Main Stage 2014
Jimmy cliff live at reggae Rotterdam festival 2018 full show
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