Jimmy Cliff
Born: 1944-07-30 in Somerton district of St. James, Jamaica
Died: 2025-11-24
Known For: Acting
Biography
The Honourable Jimmy Cliff, OM (30 July 1944 – 24 November 2025), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and actor. At the time of his death, he was 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. He is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Sitting in Limbo," "You Can Get It If You Really Want," and "Many Rivers to Cross" from the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world; and his covers of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. Outside of the reggae world, he is probably best known for his film appearance in The Harder They Come. Jimmy Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jimmy Cliff, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2021
- Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell as Self (archive footage)
2019
- Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes as Self
2018
- ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff as Himself
2016
2014
- Lennon or McCartney as Self
2013
- Muscle Shoals as Self
2012
- Marley as Self
2011
- Toots and the Maytals Reggae Got Soul as Himself
2009
- O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar as Self (archive footage)
- Titãs - A Vida Até Parece Uma Festa as Self (archive footage)
2008
- Formel Eins - Die Kultvideos Vol. 2 as Self (archive footage)
2006
- Jimmy Cliff - Moving On as Singer
2005
- Squidbillies ... (Theme Song Performance)
- Engine ... (Theme Song Performance)
2003
- Rude Boy: The Jamaican Don as Wise Man
1999
- One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star Tribute as Self - Perfomer
1997
- Acústico MTV: Titãs as Self
1996
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks as Self
1994
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast
- TOTP2 as Self
1990
- Marked for Death as Himself
1988
- A Reggae Session as Self
1987
- Sacrée Soirée as Self
- Le monde est à vous as Self
1986
- Club Paradise as Ernest Reed
1984
- Miami Vice ... (Songs)
- Partido Alto as Self
- Jimmy Cliff - Rockpalast 84
1982
- Champs-Elysées as Self
- Bongo Man as Self
1980
- Grandes Nomes as Self
1977
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Musical Guest
1974
1973
- Rock Concert as Self
1972
- The Harder They Come as Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
1968
- Spotlight as self
1966
- 4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet as Self
1964
- This Is Ska as Himself