GRAMMY® Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® inductee, musician, actor, singer, songwriter, producer, and humanitarian Jimmy Cliff has died.
He was 83 years old.
He is said to have died after suffering from a seizure followed by pneumonia
His wife announced the news of his death on Monday, November 24, 2025, in a post on Facebook.
“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.”
According to the wife, further information will be shared in due time.
“Further information will be provided at a later date. See you, and we see you, Legend.”
Cliff, whose birth name was James Chambers, was instrumental in introducing reggae to an international audience, largely through his performance in the landmark film The Harder They Come.
He began recording soon after moving from the countryside to Kingston, making several singles before topping the Jamaican charts with his own song, Hurricane Hattie, one of his earliest efforts for Leslie Kong’s Beverly Records, according to the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).
He had several more hits that combined pop and ska influences. After relocating to London in 1965 at the behest of Chris Blackwell of Island Records, Cliff broadened his musical approach to incorporate soul and rhythm and blues as he moved in the direction of reggae.
By the late 1960s, he was a favourite in South America (having won a prize at a festival in Brazil with his song Waterfall), and his album Wonderful World, Beautiful People was an international hit as well as the record that prompted Paul Simon to investigate reggae.
As the star of The Harder They Come—he contributed to its soundtrack the classics Many Rivers to Cross, Sitting in Limbo, and the title song—Cliff became reggae’s biggest star.
