Yusuf / Cat Stevens has paid tribute to Jimmy Cliff , calling the reggae pioneer a “powerful presence in my life” after the iconic Jamaican singer’s family announced his death aged 81.

“He always seemed to be there at crucial stages on my journey,” Stevens wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. “We had success together in the early days with ‘Wild World,’ we bumped into each other by strange and wonderful coincidence on pilgrimage in Mecca, and we also connected at the Mandela 46664 concert that marked my return to mainstream music.”

“GOD BLESS HIM,” Stevens added, sharing an old personal photo of the pair. “His songs always had some message of peace — may he find it now and forever.”

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Although the two men weren’t frequent collaborators, Cliff’s cov

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