Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff
Cliff performing in 2012
Cliff performing in 2012
Background information
Birth nameJames Chambers
Born (1944-07-30) 30 July 1944 (age 80)[1]
St. James, Colony of Jamaica
GenresSka, rocksteady, reggae, soul
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, actor
Instruments
Years active1962–present
Labels[2]
Websitejimmycliff.com

James Chambers, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.

Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night", and "Hakuna Matata", and his covers of Cat Stevens's "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae around the world,[3] and Club Paradise. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

  1. ^ "Jimmy Cliff Official Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Cliff: Biography". answers.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  3. ^ Colin Larkin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9.