Jimmy Cliff , the reggae music legend and star of seminal Jamaican film The Harder They Come , has died aged 81.

His wife, Latifa Chambers, confirmed his death through a social media post today that was also signed by his children, Lilty and Aken. “It is with profound sadness that I share my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia,” she wrote.

Cliff was known for his joyful take on reggae music, popularizing it outside the Caribbean through soongs such as ‘Wonderful World, Beautiful People’ and ‘You Can Get it If You Really Want.’

On screen, he was known for his lead role in 1972 Jamaican crime flick The Harder They Come , in which he played a poor musician who becomes a huge star but is forced on the run. The soundtrack to Perry Henzell’s fi

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