Jimmy Cliff, the reggae pioneer behind classics like “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” and “Vietnam,” has died at 81. His family confirmed he passed away after “a seizure followed by pneumonia,” adding, “Your support was his strength throughout his whole career.”

Often described as reggae’s “Jesus Christ” because he helped reshape the genre, Cliff became its first global superstar. His powerful voice carried hits like “I Can See Clearly Now,” and his rise from deep poverty inspired generations of artists who followed.

Cliff’s career began in Kingston’s 1960s music scene alongside Bob Marley and Toots Hibbert. He once described reggae as music “born of the poorer class… from the need for recognition, identity and respect.” His life changed with the film The Harder They Come, where his role as Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin and the soundtrack turned him into an international figure. Looking back on that moment, he said, “There were few of us who came through the cracks to get any kind of recognition.”

“Many Rivers to Cross” was written during a painful period when “I saw my hopes fading,” he said. His music reached far beyond Jamaica, inspiring covers by Bruce Springsteen, Cher, UB40, and many others.

Cliff earned two GRAMMY Awards, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and received Jamaica’s Order of Merit. Montego Bay even renamed its famous hip strip Jimmy Cliff Boulevard.