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Jimmy Cliff, the reggae great whose lead role in the 1972 film The Harder They Come made him an international star and helped propel the Jamaican genre into the mainstream, died this morning, Nov. 24, 2025. The film’s soundtrack included four recordings by Cliff, all of which became staples of the genre: the title song, “You Can Get it If You Really Want,” “Sitting in Limbo” and the ballad “Many Rivers to Cross.” Cliff was 81.
Cliff’s wife, Latifa Chambers, issued the following statement announcing his death: “It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia. I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love. I also wanted to thank Dr. Couceyro and the whole medical staff, as they have been extremely supportive and helpful during this difficult process. Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes. I hope you all can respect our privacy during these hard times. Further information will be provided at a later date. See you and we see you Legend. Latifa , Lilty and Aken”
Cliff’s place of death has not been reported as of yet.
Jimmy Cliff (Photo from his Instagram page)
Born James Chambers on July 30, 1944, in St. James, Jamaica, Cliff began writing songs as a child and made his first recording at age 14. At 17, his song “Hurricane Hattie,” produced by Leslie Kong, became a hit. In 1964, Cliff, along with several other Jamaican singers, came to New York to represent his country at the World’s Fair. In 1967, after moving to the U.K. and signing to Island Records, he released his debut album, Hard Road to Travel. His 1968 single “Vietnam,” released the following year, gave Cliff his first chart hit in the U.K. “Wonderful World, Beautiful People,” released the following year, made the top 10 there and also put Cliff on the map in the U.S., where it reached #25 on the Billboard singles chart.
In 1972, Cliff starred as Ivan Martin, an aspiring reggae singer who becomes a gangster, in The Harder They Come, directed by Perry Henzel. The soundtrack album peaked at #140 in the U.S. but its popularity grew in subsequent years, as did that of the film itself, which became a cult classic. In addition to Cliff’s four songs, the soundtrack included several other numbers that are now recognized as cornerstones of reggae, among them the Maytals’ “Pressure Drop” and “Sweet and Dandy,” the Slickers’ “Johnny Too Bad,” Desmond Dekker’s “Shanty Town” and the Melodians’ “Rivers of Babylon.”
Among Cliff’s other hits was his 1969 cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” a top 10 hit in several countries, including the U.K.; “Reggae Night,” in 1983; and his 1993 cover of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now.” His 2012 album Rebirth became his last to chart in the U.S., reaching #76 on Billboard’s LPs chart but topping the publication’s reggae chart. The LP won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album.
Related: The story behind Desmond Dekker’s “Israelites”
In 1976, Cliff sang on Saturday Night Live during the program’s first season, and in 2010 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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