Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff passed away early today, at age 81, with reports citing complications involving pneumonia after a seizure. He was recognized for helping spread reggae worldwide.
- Cliff won Grammy Awards for the albums Cliff Hanger (1985) and Rebirth (2012) and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
He recorded a reggae cover of “I Can See Clearly Now” specifically for the Disney film Cool Runnings about the Jamaican bobsled team. The song appears prominently in the movie and on the soundtrack. His version became a hit, reaching the Billboard Hot 100.
Pensacola Connection
Cliff played at the last DeLuna Fest on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. That Pensacola Beach festival included Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Florence and the Machine, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Ben Folds Five, Band of Horses and The Wallflowers.
- Background: DeLuna Fest was a short?lived but high?profile beach music festival held on Pensacola Beach from 2010 to 2012, created in the wake of the BP oil spill to boost tourism and rebrand the beach as a destination.
Deluna Fest sponsored movie nights leading up to the festival. The 1972 classic “The Harder They Come,” which starred Cliff, played at Flounders.