In Memoriam: Jimmy Cliff (1944-2025)
Before The Rocky Horror Picture Show, there was The Harder They Come. Director Perry Henzell’s film inspired by the life of Jamaican outlaw Ivanhoe “Rygin” Martin, starring Jimmy Cliff in the title role, failed to make a splash at the box office upon its initial U.S. release in early 1973. But canny exhibitors realized its similarity to Blaxploitation films such as Shaft and Superfly, and it quickly became a mainstay of midnight movies. The New York Times noted that it ran for 26 weeks at a Cambridge cinema in 1973 before returning in 1974 for another seven years. Its Island Records soundtrack catapulted Jimmy Cliff to international fame and played a major role in popularizing reggae around the world. Only Cliff’s title track was recorded specifically for the film; the album was rounded out with past Cliff classics as well as songs by The Melodians, Desmond Dekker, The Maytals, and others. Though the LP only reached the lower half of the Billboard 200, it became a mainstay of the genre and, in 2021, was recognized by the Library of Congress with inclusion in the National Recording Registry.
Jimmy Cliff remained forever associated with The Harder They Come, and the artist born James Chambers in St. James, Jamaica used it as a springboard to a career that endured until his death earlier today at the age of 81. The singer was still a teenager when he experienced his first successes in Jamaica; in 1964, he was chosen as one of the country’s representatives at the New York World’s Fair. In 1969, “Wonderful World, Beautiful People” espoused a philosophy of positivity that served Cliff well: “Take a look at the world/And the state that it’s in today/I am sure you’ll agree/We all could make it a better way/With our love put together/Everybody learn to love each other…” The anthemic song gave Cliff his first U.K. top ten single; it was followed by further hits including the anti-war lament “Vietnam” (which reportedly earned fans such as Bob Dylan) and a powerful cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World.” Desmond Dekker took Cliff’s “You Can Get It If You Really Want” to the charts in Europe, Australia, South Africa, and the United States, where it “bubbled under” the Hot 100.
Cliff’s 1969 composition “Many Rivers to Cross” became one of his most famous works, recorded over the years by artists including Cher, Annie Lennox, and UB40. A fusion of reggae and gospel, it anticipated Cliff’s ongoing melding of disparate world music elements. Bruce Springsteen championed his songs including “Trapped,” The E Street Band’s recording of which ended up on the multi-platinum We Are the World benefit album. He joined Little Steven for the anti-apartheid record “Sun City,” collaborated with The Rolling Stones, Sting, Joe Strummer, and Elvis Costello, and contributed a spirited version of Elton John and Tim Rice’s carefree “Hakuna Matata” to The Lion King spinoff album Rhythm of the Pride Lands. Another Disney film, Cool Runnings, inspired Jimmy’s international hit cover of “I Can See Clearly Now,” originally written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash – one of the first non-Jamaican artists to record in Kingston and earn the respect of the genre’s progenitors.
In 2010, Jimmy Cliff was inducted by Haitian singer-rapper Wyclef Jean into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was only the second reggae musician to be welcomed to the Hall, following Bob Marley – whom Cliff had, years earlier, encouraged to audition for producer Leslie Kong. In 2013, Jimmy won his second Grammy Award for the album appropriately entitled Rebirth – the first came for 1986’s Cliff Hanger, with appearances by Kool and the Gang, La Toya Jackson, and Jaco Pastorius – which was produced by Tim Armstrong of punk band Rancid. In addition to original songs, Rebirth featured renditions of Rancid (“Ruby Soho”) and The Clash (“Guns of Brixton”), further underscoring the breadth of Cliff’s musical immersion.
2022’s Refugees, Cliff’s final studio album released in his lifetime, found him continuing his crusade for a better world, with songs including “We Want Justice,” “Racism,” “Bridges,” and the title track. He sang with a note of hope on “Refugees”: “We gon’ make it through the odds/Every day that we live is blessing in disguise/Do unto others as you would have done it to you/Listen, that’s just the word from the wise.” Jimmy Cliff’s legacy of love and light will continue to reverberate from the streets of beautiful Jamaica throughout the world.
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My favorite musician of all time. I grew up on his music, and have been playing his music for my 6 year old since he was 2. May Jimmy’s soul rest in everlasting peace! His miusic will live on forever!!