'The Harder They Come' Actor and Reggae Legend Jimmy Cliff Dead at 81

There was a time when the music of reggae was known best to Jamaicans, and the rest of the world had not yet heard the soulful and sweet sounds of the genre. But legends such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and others introduced the world to the unique sounds of reggae and the storytelling of the hearty style.

Among those others is the legendary Jimmy Cliff, widely considered one of reggae's forerunners.

Jimmy's voice and the sounds of his songs became an omnipresent fixture in the United States and around the world after he and colleagues helped coin the term reggae and made the genre into the worldwide sensation we know today. Jimmy died in November 2025, leaving behind an impressive legacy. Here's what we know about his net worth and the legacy he left for those who love reggae.

Jimmy was born James Chambers on July 30, 1944, in the St. James parish near Montego Bay. When he was a preteen, he took on the stage name Jimmy Cliff.

As a child, he was inspired by gospel singers in his local church as well as American singers.

Jimmy began writing music at a young age, and his skills were so impressive that he was granted a scholarship in high school. His family moved to Kingston to take advantage of the opportunity, and it was there that Jimmy's career took off. He was a prolific artist throughout his career, best known for his starring role in the movie The Harder They Come and his version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now."

Celebrity Net Worth estimates that his net worth was around $5 million.

The beloved reggae legend passed away on Nov. 24, 2025. According to AP News, he died from a “seizure followed by pneumonia."

In an announcement shared by the outlet, his family noted, "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.”

During his life, Jimmy was a multifaceted individual, not only helping to launch the reggae genre but also starring in The Harder They Come as the iconic Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin.

He was a pensive person who shared his thoughts and feelings deeply. In 2022, he said of the reggae genre, "[Reggae] is a pure music. It was born of the poorer class of people. It came from the need for recognition, identity, and respect" (excerpt via AP News).

In 2021, while speaking with The Guardian, Jimmy spoke about his hope for his fame and reach to help Jamaican people gain acceptance, musing on his role in The Harder They Come, "Back in those days, there were few of us African descendants who came through the cracks to get any kind of recognition. It was easier in music than movies. But when you start to see your face and name on the side of the buses in London, that was like: ‘Wow, what’s going on?’" (via AP News).

On social media, Jimmy's death has prompted fans to leave words of thanks for his influence, reflecting on how his voice and presence touched their lives. But it is perhaps his own words that might offer the most comfort to those mourning his loss.

In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Jimmy shared his thoughts on death, which seem particularly poignant now: "From our religious background, our concept of when someone cross over — we don’t say they ‘pass away,’ we say ‘cross over,’ they just go to the other side of existence."

He added thoughtfully, "There’s no such thing as death — and then they go out there and they vibrate for however many days before they go to a higher height.”