Throwback: R.I.P. Jimmy Cliff

I was getting myself ready to head downtown for the Gotham FC NWSL Championship parade when I learned — through Threads, actually — that the iconic Jimmy Cliff passed away today.

Cliff is considered one of pioneers of reggae, responsible for both the development of the sound that we know and love and is instrumental in spreading the music across the world, alongside the likes of Toots and the Maytals and others. One can argue that Jimmy Cliff may be one of reggae’s most important figures because without him and his work, we might not have known of Bob Marley and countless other Jamaican artists. I’m also convinced that Purple Rain wouldn’t be possible without The Harder They Fall.

His life and his work will remain towering and beloved for generations beyond us.

Long live, Jimmy Cliff!

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The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have. 

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