Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff OM
Cliff performing in 2012
Background information
Birth name	James Chambers
Born	(1944-07-30) 30 July 1944 (age 79)[1] St. James, Colony of Jamaica
Genres	Ska, rocksteady, reggae, soul
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, actor
Instrument(s)	Vocals guitar piano conga keyboards
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Island JAD Records Columbia Trojan EMI CBS [2]
Website	jimmycliff.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.