Composer
Jimmy Cliff
Jamaican musician (1944–2025)
1944–2025
11 works in the index
- Born
- 1944
- Died
- 2025
- Birthplace
- Saint James Parish
- Place of death
- Kingston
- Citizenship / historical state
- Jamaica
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Contemporary
Biography
James Ezekiel Chambers (30 July 1944 – 24 November 2025), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician. He was considered to be one of Jamaica's most celebrated musicians and was credited with helping to popularise reggae music internationally. At the time of his death, he was the 4th reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences. He was also nominated seven times for the Grammy Awards, winning twice.
Cliff starred in The Harder They Come (1972), the first major commercial film from Jamaica. The soundtrack helped to make reggae widely known. He was known for such songs as "Many Rivers to Cross", "If I Follow My Mind", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night", and his covers of Cat Stevens's "Wild World", Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" (from the Cool Runnings soundtrack) and "Hakuna Matata". Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. He was one of only two Jamaicans in the Hall of Fame, the other being Bob Marley.
Jimmy Cliff made deliberate, multifaceted efforts to reach across cultural and racial lines and appeal to a mainstream audience. He pursued strategic record deals that gave him access to the primarily white UK market, covered well-known pop and rock songs such as Cat Stevens' "Wild World", which reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1970, and placed his music in popular films including the 1988 hit Cocktail, which featured his song "Shelter of Your Love". Through these efforts Cliff reached a broader global audience while remaining true to his reggae roots, and was widely credited with helping to popularize reggae worldwide.
Biography excerpt from Wikipedia contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting and reference markers have been removed; the introduction may be shortened. View contributors and article history.
Life and musical career
- Occupations
- singer; songwriter; recording artist; composer; record producer; musician; film producer
- Notable works
- Many Rivers to Cross; The Harder They Come; Reggae Night
- Official website
- https://www.jimmycliff.com
- Birth name
- James Chambers
- Languages used
- English
- VIAF ID
- 42024847
- ISNI
- 0000000078273819
- GND ID
- 123372666
- Library of Congress ID
- n91129989
- MusicBrainz ID
- 2caa54a7-b08c-41da-b892-3a41abe778be
Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Guitar, Piano, Voice, Vocal
- Genres represented
- Rock, pop
- Works with composition dates
- 0 of 11
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Many Rivers To Cross | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Voice | pop | 14 |
| The Harder They Come | — | — | — | Guitar | — | 11 |
| Wonderful World, Beautiful People | — | — | — | Guitar | — | 9 |
| Sitting In Limbo | — | — | — | Guitar | — | 3 |
| Vietnam | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Vocal | — | 5 |
| You Can Get It If You Really Want | — | — | — | Guitar, Voice | — | 2 |
| Harder They Come, The | — | — | — | Guitar, Voice | Rock | 1 |
| Struggling Man | — | — | — | Guitar, Voice | Rock | 0 |
| Let Your Yeah Be Yeah | — | — | — | Guitar | — | 1 |
| Hakuna Matata | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 1 |
| I Can See Clearly Now | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Vocal | — | 1 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 42024847. Portrait: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.