Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff has died

Reggae icon and actor Jimmy Cliff has died.

The announcement was shared on his official Instagram page on Monday. He was 81.

"It's with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia. I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.

"Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes. I hope you all can respect our privacy during these hard times," the Instagram post said.

It also said further information will be provided at a later date.

The singer, whose given name is James Chambers, was born in Somerton, St James, on July 30, 1944, and reportedly began singing with 4-H Clubs at the age of nine. In 1959, he moved to Kingston and later attended Kingston Technical School, where he studied radio and television.

He had his first singing break with the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour at the Palace Theatre, and he performed on many occasions with the Byron Lee Band. In 1965, he went to the United Kingdom and his singing career gathered momentum.

He has had several hits in many of the big cities of the world, notably Italy, Brazil and Denmark. The Harder They Come provided him with his first film role and in addition to writing the title song, he was also responsible for most of the music in the film.

Jimmy Cliff was presented with the Order of Distinction (Officer) for services in the field of entertainment in 1973. This was later upgraded to Jamaica's third highest national honour, the Order of Merit (OM).

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