Jimmy Cliff, the legendary Jamaican singer who along with Bob Marley popularized reggae, ska and rocksteady music over a six-decade career, has died, his wife, Latifa Chambers, announced Monday on Facebook.
PHOTO Jimmy Cliff / Facebook
“It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of my husband, Jimmy Cliff, from a bout of pneumonia. I am grateful to his family, friends, artists and colleagues who have been with him on this journey. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support has been his strength throughout his career. He truly appreciated every fan for his love.”she wrote.
Born James Chambers on July 30, 1944, during a hurricane in northwest Jamaica, he moved in the 1950s from the family farm to the country’s capital, Kingston, with his father, determined to make it in the music industry.
At just 14, he became nationally famous for the song ‘Hurricane Hattie’which he composed, writes Agerpres.
Cliff would go on to record over 30 albums and perform around the world.
In 2012, he won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for ‘Rebirth’, which was produced by Tim Armstrong of the punk band Rancid, and another Grammy in 1984 for ‘Cliff Hanger’.
Cliff received the Order of Merit, the highest honor in the arts and sciences, from the Jamaican government. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
