Remembering the life and influential career of reggae icon Jimmy Cliff

Geoff Bennett:

Finally tonight: Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff has died. His family says the cause was complications following a seizure and pneumonia.

A native son of Jamaica, a two-time Grammy winner and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cliff carried his country's music from the streets of Kingston to audiences around the world, turning reggae into a global sound.

He was considered the first international star of reggae and, for a time, Jimmy Cliff was the genre's greatest ambassador. He personified the music of Jamaica, building a career that spanned nearly seven decades and a fan base that reached across the world.

Cliff rose to prominence in the early 1960s, paving the way for another giant of the genre, Bob Marley, just as Jamaica was gaining its independents from Britain. He said his music and the early sounds of reggae itself were changing right along with his country.

Jimmy Cliff, Musician:

Music doesn't really stay the same. I mean. Especially popular music keeps changing. So reggae music, we know that is coming from, like you say, what was called ska, then to rocksteady, which was the bridge to reggae. And then, when it became known as reggae, that name kind of stuck.

Geoff Bennett:

He sang in a lilting tenor voice and performed with a charismatic upbeat persona, outward joy on stage that so often belied the seriousness and social consciousness of his music.

Jimmy Cliff:

The people don't want another Vietnam!

(Cheering)

Geoff Bennett:

Cliff's songs delved into politics and activism, like his anti-war anthem "Vietnam." He said music could give people purpose.

Jimmy Cliff:

Music can highlight awareness. And from that awareness, people can take some kind of action to better the situation.

I think that's the role music has played through the ages. And I think it's the role that it is playing now. And I think that is the role that it can play.

You want to go and beg work for $10 a week for the rest of my life? I would rather die.

Geoff Bennett:

A gifted actor, as well as musician, Cliff starred in the 1972 crime drama "The Harder They Come," a groundbreaking Jamaican film. He won acclaim for his lead role as Ivan Martin, an aspiring reggae musician turned criminal. He also wrote much of the film's soundtrack, which helped to bring reggae to a wider audience, especially in the U.S.

After a period when his star had noticeably dimmed, he reemerged, perhaps most memorably with his unmistakable modern take on Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," recorded for the soundtrack of "Cool Runnings," the 1993 hit film about the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team.

Nominated for seven Grammys, he won twice for best reggae album. In 2003, Cliff received Jamaica's Order of Merit, the country's highest honor for those in the arts and sciences. And, in 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame. One of reggae music's greatest pioneers, Jimmy Cliff, was 81 years old.

Amna Nawaz:

A true trailblazer. He will be missed.