Reggae pioneer and actor Jimmy Cliff has died at 81, his wife Latifa Chambers announced, citing a seizure followed by pneumonia as the cause.
Born James Chambers in Jamaica, Cliff rose to fame at 14 with Hurricane Hattie and went on to record more than 30 albums, perform worldwide and star in the influential 1972 film The Harder They Come, which helped bring reggae to international audiences. Known for classics such as You Can Get It If You Really Want, Many Rivers to Cross, and his celebrated covers of I Can See Clearly Now and Wild World, Cliff used his music to highlight social struggle and hope.
He collaborated with major artists including the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon and Annie Lennox, and earned two Grammy Awards during his career.
