It was announced this morning that famed Jamaican singer the Honourable Jimmy Cliff OM, who had a career that started in the early 1960s, passed away today - from a seizure followed by pneumonia. He was 81 years old.
That title refers to the Jamaican Order of Merit, an award celebrating great achievement by their citizens or by others that have had a huge impact on Jamaica in the sciences, arts, or any other endeavor. He was the only living reggae musician to receive that honor.
His career was full of hits and accolades, including this one, which he originally wrote and recorded in 1969. Others - most notably Annie Lennox, UB40, and Cher - made this song into a much bigger hit that Cliff did (it was a French hit, oddly, a place where he had a lot of hits). He certainly had much bigger hits.
I chose this one as a fitting tribute because of this heartfelt and well-received performance from the 2003 Glastonbury festival.
His voice and his passion will be missed.
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