Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached joy, defiance, and resilience in such classics as «Many Rivers to Cross,» «You Can Get it If.
Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached joy, defiance, and resilience in such classics as «Many Rivers to Cross», «You Can Get it If You Really Want» and «Vietnam» and starred in the landmark movie The Harder They Come, has died at 81. His family posted a message Monday on his social media sites that he died from a «seizure followed by pneumonia», per the AP. «To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career», the announcement reads in part. «He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.»
Cliff was a native Jamaican with a spirited tenor and a gift for catchphrases and topical lyrics who joined Kingston’s emerging music scene in his teens and helped lead a movement in the 1960s that included such future stars as Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert, and Peter Tosh.
